Aielenamin
by fairy-colors
Summary: UPDATED! She adored him as a child and yet a millennia after, she finds herself falling for him again. But as every story always goes, it's already too late. A story of knowing when to rekindle lost loves. LegolasOC, AU.
1. A Marriage Proposal

**Disclaimer:** Legolas/OC Fic, AU. LoTR characters are not mine but Tolkien's.

**A/N:** Fiction will not follow the canon. Some dates will be accurate, some will not be. Inconsistent.

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**Aielenamin**  
**Chapter 1:** _A Marriage Proposal_

"Prince Legolas! Prince Legolas! Wait for me!" little Arienne screamed madly, running across the far end of the archery field to where the prince was readying his horse, her tangled mousy dark brown hair flying around her grime-streaked face. She grinned wider when she saw him wave at her with a smile. "Ommphhhh!" she cried, tumbling down on the soft brown earth, as she tripped on her gown. 

She was half-mad, half-saddened that he planned to leave without telling her about it. And upon knowing that the prince was to leave an hour after dawn, she snuck out of her room in the palace, leaving behind a still snoring nurse. Arienne had ran about the woods until she reached the archery range where he knew he would be, getting caught along the way by branches and leaves as well being dirtied by the moist earth that had already clung to her dress. 

"Arienne!" Legolas jogged to where the child fell down but saw her quickly stand up, not bothering to brush off the dirt from her once clean blue dress. "Are you alright child?" he asked worriedly when he reached her, steading the small elfling in front of him, brushing the dirt from her face. 

"It was nothing," she smiled widely at the prince, her letter S making her produce an adorable lisp.

"What are yoo doing here? You should still be tucked in bed," he admonished disapprovingly at her.

Arienne then remembered why she was there and began to frown at the Prince, returning the look that he was giving her at the moment. "Renus told me that you were leaving for the east and won't be back till a year from now, you didn't even bother saying goodbye," she accusingly, her pink lips forming a pouting look of neglect. 

Legolas chuckled at the adorable picture the elf child before him made, still proud and queenly even with her dress and hair in disarray. He crouched down to her level and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her small, pointy ears. "I am sorry _aielenamin_ but I didn't think you would be awake at this hour, it is but an hour past sun up," he explained to her as she looked back at him. "And besides, I don't think Nyeath would approve of me waking you up at this hour, she would have me roasted alive," he added with a wink. 

Arienne hated the way the prince talked to her as if she didn't have any feelings. She was already approaching her 14th year and yet, everyone still treated her as if she just came out of her diapers! "None of you treat me like an adult," she said angrily at him. 

"That is because you still are a child," he said tenderly. "Oh do stop pouting, _ai-elen_," he said producing a white lily from his back, waving it in front of her face. 

Arienne gasped. "How did you do that?" she demanded at him, her hands at her sides. 

"Would you rather have it or would rather know how I came to have it?" he asked with a teasing grin. He laughed as she snatched the flower from his hand. "Now where is that smile that I've been wanting to see?" 

The little elf smiled at him brightly before launching herself at the prince, her arms clasped around his neck. "I shall miss you, do you promise to tell me about all of your adventures when you come back?" she said, her arms tightening around him. Oh she did not want him to leave! 

"_Telellah_, please loosen your grip, I cannot breathe," he gasped out laughingly, the wind knocked out of him after launching herself at him. For a child that barely reached up to arm, she sure could choke him! He felt her grip loosen and he slight chuckle. "I promise I will do all that," he said sincerely at the child whom he came to grow fond off like a sister, albeit her attentions were always directed at him.

No doubt that the child had a crush on him. But then again, she had no real male acquaintances except her father, who was one of the kings advisers, the king and Legolas! "Now, I really must leave for I do not want to be late for my audience with the Lady of the Woods," he said gently, untangling her thin arms from his neck. 

The morose look returned to her face without her noticing it. Legolas sighed and so he held her hand that had the flower he gave her, "I promise you, I shall return with stories and gifts. And as long as I haven't returned and have seen you, that lily will not wilt."

Arienne's eyes crinkled with contentment before breaking into a mischievouse smile, "Can we get married when you get back?" She started to flutter her eyes at him like a charlatan making the prince dissolve into deep laughter before being kicked at his side by the indignant elf in front of him. "We will get married, you know," she informed him primly, her nose up in the air.

_She really is something else. A proposal from a lady, a lady of 14 years, no less!_ he thought in amusement. "You'll change your mind soon enough, _ai-elen_. Before you know it, boys will be lining up to ask your _atar_ for your hand in marriage," he said affectionately, pinching her pert nose lightly.

"Why can't I marry you?" she asked insistently, crossing her arms.

"Hmmmm, let me think. Maybe because the boys in the village will be shooting their arrows my way wherever I go when they find out that we got married," he answered teasingly. All he got was a loud 'hrumph' from the elfling. Legolas kissed the elf child's forehead and smiled before he signaled for a guard that was near the archery range to come. 

"Erulien, kindly escort the Lady Arienne back to her quarters before her guardian finds out that she's missing and sound the alarm bells?" he asked the guard whom he knew knows something about the child's attachment to the prince and therefore knew it wouldn't be an easy task to escort her back to the palace. 

"As you wish, your highness," he said, walking towards the child who was looking pleadingly at the older man. "Come on, my lady. Nyeath will surely be not pleased when she finds out that you've been traipsing around the grounds at this hour," he said taking her small hand. 

Arienne sighed loudly and waved at Legolas before following the guard. "Be good while I'm gone Arienne!" Legolas called out loudly as she retreated. The elfling turned around and gave him a devlish grin before sticking out her tongue at him. He laughed as he went back to his traveling party. 

"She sure is very devoted to you, Legolas," Sirefel said chuckling, remembering the scene he had witnessed a brief moment ago. He along with ten others started to ride out of Mirkwood after settling the small incident. 

"That she is, that she is," he said merrily, remembering her audacious marriage proposal to him a while ago. "She has actually taken this parting quite well compared to the others where she threw monstrous tantrums when I leave," the prince laughingly recalled. "She will grow up to be a fine lady," he added with a smile.

The last time that he had to leave Mirkwood was a year ago and she had to be locked up in her room to stop her from clinging onto the prince. It pained him so much to hear her scream out his name while he left. Truth be told, he had come to love the elfling like a sister, even as his own child for her father was only six hundred centuries older than he is. 

"Aye, that she will be. And yet, I sense an adoring note towards you from the little lady," Sirefel noted, remembering how the child possesively hugged the prince. 

"I suspect it is one of those small crushes that children have, although she did propose marriage to me before she left," he added, unable to resist the small amusement he got from it. She was bolder than the most experience courtesan in the courts! "But I'm sure that she'll grow out of it when she finally gets to meet other male elves," he said, convinced that sooner or later it was bound to happen. "Though of late, she has been more than clingy than usual," he added thoughtfully, remembering how she makes sure she is at his side wherever he is at the moment. 

"So you do think that this trip may actually do good for the young elleth in controlling herself when she's with you?" his companion asked him curiously. 

"Well, let's put it this way, I'm glad that she'd be out of my hair for a while," Legolas answered with a serene smile. "I honestly cannot do most of my business when she's around, she can be quite a nusiance sometimes. But she's a child and can be excused for it. The elleth needed her own space to explore and she will no be able to do that is she clings to my side all day." 

_I'm glad that she'd be out of my hair for a while....she can be quite a nusiance sometimes...a _child_!...she clings to my side all day..._

Arienne gasped at the words that she heard that came right from Legolas' lips. Fat droplets of tears raced down her dirty face as the words continued to echo in her head. He adored her just as she adored him and never had she felt that way towards him about being such a _nuisance_! 

She had slipped away from Eralith who was escorting her back so she could see Legolas as he left, she wanted to see him one more time before he left for an extended amount of time. Finding a suitable tree to climb, she watched the party as they left, moving under her tree. She didn't expect to hear those cruel words from his lips. Not from the prince's lips! 

Arienne climbed quickly down the tree still sobbing, running back to the castle, leaving behind the lily Legolas gave her.

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14 elven years old will be converted physically into a 7 year old human in this story. legolas would be 1931 years old at this time.

aielenamin - my little star  
ai-elen - little star  
tellelah - young one

please review! :)


	2. A Wedding to Attend

**Disclaimer:** Legolas/OC Fic, AU. LoTR characters are not mine but Tolkien's.

**A/N:** Fiction will not follow the canon. Some dates will be accurate, some will not be. Inconsistent. Oh...and does anyone want to be my beta reader? ** plus: do you want to see how i picture the characters of my stories? their pictures can be found in the link i posted in my author's page. :)**

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**Aielenamin**  
**Chapter 2 - A Wedding to Attend**

**Rivendell, 1005 years later (five years after the War of the Ring)...**

The first rays of the morning sun haven't shown itself yet behind the hills that towered the castle, only the marbling purple, orange and pinkish glow had appeared to greet the new day. Soft, cool breeze wove itself through the lands from the light rain that came the night before. On a small balcony overlooking the lands of the Last Homely House, dew drops clung lovingly on the leaves of the vines that entwined itself on the marble pillars. Tiny rose buds studded the vines, the dews becoming shimmery, choosing to stay on the soft and smooth surface of the flowers. On the balcony was a small bench where pots of lilies grew freely, a small bird bath that was slowly becoming occupied by bluebirds, doves and blue jays. 

Yet even though dawn hasn't completely come, the occupant of the room was already busying herself with last minute packing of her clothes. The truth was, she hadn't slept a wink all throughout the night. The day had finally come that she would go back to Eryn Lagaslen, her home that she hadn't seen in over a millennia. Her elder sister was getting married and had insisted that she came home to help with the preparations.

Her large bed was still neatly made with the exception of some articles of clothing strewn about. Only one of her plump feather pillows was out of place. Out of nervousness, she had been clutching the pillow in distress, releasing her stressed feelings. Finally, seeing the last clothing that needed to be packed, she stuffed a pair of silk stockings into her trunk and sighed loudly, running a hand through her messy hair.

Gathering her heavy silk white nightgown, she walked tiredly to the double doors leading to the balcony and pulled aside the heavy purple drapes to welcome the new morning. It looked like any other day that she had had in Rivendell, the air was cool and the sun was rising to finally bring heat. Watching the birds frisk themselves into the shallow birdbath, she was pushed back into an old memory...

_"Happy birthday, _aielenamin_!" the tall, blond prince greeted her when he saw her bound down the steps that led to the palace gardens. He received her with a bear hug and a kiss on the tip of her nose._

"Thank you," Arienne replied happily. There was nothing better for her than to first see the prince first thing in the morning before officially starting her special day. "Where's my present?" she demanded.

"Tsk tsk, still impatient, I see," he said disapprovingly before pulling out a wooden carving of a two doves taking a drink in a birdbath.

Her eyes widened and her mouth formed an O upon seeing the exquisitely carved gift. She reached for it with wonder, touching the wings of the doves that were still suspended in the air as it landed on the birdbath. "It's so pretty. Thank you Legolas," she said happily, clutching the gift to her chest.

He nodded, "You're very much welcome o'-elle_. I knew how much you love birds." He was glad that she liked the gift; he knew how fascinated the child was with birds and had wanted to fly like the creatures for the longest time._

"'Tis is the prettiest gift I've had! Did you carve this yourself?"

"Aye," he replied. "The prettiest gift you've received? What about the doll I gave you last year, you said it was the prettiest too as well as the flute, which I may add you never really learned how to play," he added.

"It was too hard to learn," she answered huffily. "Besides, this is the prettiest of the prettiest gifts you've given me!" He laughed at her response. "I'm ten whole years old now!" she declared excitedly as she and the prince walked in the garden, still holding the precious gift lovingly.

"My, that's old," Legolas commented with a frown. "You should be using a walking stick by now!"

The elfling rolled her eyes at him and scoffed. "If I'm_ old, what do we call you then? A _relic_?"_

Legolas let out a crack of laughter at her impertinent answers before mussing her hair. "You really should be more ladylike, Arienne," he said, mock angrily. "You shouldn't tell everyone how old I am!"

Arienne yawned, flipped her hair and reasoned out, "You are nearing your second millennia, you really are ancient. Besides, what is the fun of being proper and all fussy? If I become a prissy lady, which I assure you I will never be, then I won't be able to torment you and bug you all day long. "

"Oh the horror!" Legolas said wryly.

Arienne sighed at the old memory. It had taken her a long time to forget the words that he uttered that day, and even much longer for the sting to disappear from her heart. She may have been a mere child those days but she had adored the prince to the point that she would have followed him even to the quest that he had been in a few years ago. Her youth had been the curse, for the hurt to have affected her so much since her tender heart was simply unable to answer her questions why he said those words.

She walked to her ornate dresser and picked up her silver-backed brush and started to absentmindedly slide it down her hair. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that morning. Lord Elrond Half-Elven would be awake by now and would soon call her down for breakfast before starting their journey to Mirkwood. She couldn't pinpoint the exact feeling that she felt at that moment. It was a mixture of anxiety, nervousness and elation.

She was finally going home after a millennia.

Of course she had moved past that childish crush, he was after all royalty and was so much older than she was. And boys did chase her as he predicted, though not until she reached her 500th year. Because until that time, after that traumatic incident, she moved back into her shell becoming a shy and insecure child. She didn't have her thick mahogany locks nor did her eyes have the olive color that she had now. It used to be tangled mousy brown hair and light faded green eyes. It embarrassed her now when she realized how much of a pest she was in those days, nagging and badgering the prince all day. A small smile touched her lips as she remembered his unwavering patience.

After being crushed by his words, she cried for the next three days. She neither told her nurse, who was scared out of her wits due to her charge's behavior, nor her father who cajoled her to tell him what's wrong. Ever since her mother died after giving birth to her, she and her elder sister were completely doted upon and cared for by Corellon Lasfaelgen, trusted adviser of the King of Eryn Lagaslen. Corellon was grief-stricken at her daughter's apparent pain and her unwillingness to tell him what was wrong. It came to the point that they wanted to call in a healer to exorcise her of her ills.

But Arienne stopped crying on the eve of the fourth day, her eyes swollen and dark. No more tears would fall from the young elleth's eyes, it had been drained from the past days pains. She told her father that she had decided to start her education as soon as possible, in _Rivendell_, not in Eryn Lagaslen as they originally planned. When Corellon pointed this out, Arienne started to throw a tantrum at her father's non-compliance to her childish wants which led to the poor advisor to allow his daughter to go. Much to his relief, his daughter embraced him tightly before running back to her room and packing all her clothes. 

Her sister, Kethaera, helped her pack. Older than Arienne by over five hundred years, she was wise enough to know that it had something to do with the Prince of Mirkwood's actions. She did not underestimate her sister's affection for the prince for she believed that her sister was capable of caring for people even at her own expense. Already she knew that no force in middle earth would make Arienne stay in Eryn Lagaslen. Arienne had last seen Kethaera fifty years ago when she visited Rivendell.

As for Legolas, it would be the first time she would see him since that day. Not even when he was in the Council with Lord Elrond five years ago did she see him. It was not because she didn't want to see him, but at that time, she was in Lothlorien since the sister of her mother had extended an invitation for her to visit her for a fortnight. Legolas didn't go looking for her either so she assumed that he wasn't interested in seeing her.

But even after finishing her studies with her tutor, she did not feel the need to return to Mirkwood. She felt comfortable in her new home and had made many friends that she did not want to leave. Thus her father and her sister were the ones who had to journey to Rivendell to see her once in a while. She did not regret moving to Rivendell as well. She even considered that incident fortuitous for if it didn't happen, she would not be able to find such beautiful place.

Her hair had to be bound so she plaited it and twisted it into a bun so as not to hinder her as she rode her mare. Her mind wandered so much that is she hadn't heard her maid knock on the door, she would continue on daydreaming. The sun was already in the horizon giving off light to the lands. "It's open Nyeath," she called out, standing up from the seat of her dresser.

"Good morning Ari," the elderly woman cheerfully greeted her charge. But she took a longer look at the elleth and frowned accusingly, "You haven't slept at all, have you? There are dark circles under your eyes!"

Arienne smiled guiltily at the woman. There was no use lying to her since she'd eventually know from all her incessant interrogations. "I couldn't sleep. And no, I didn't ask for your sleeping potions for if I had took them last night, I would not wake up in time for our departure today," she explained, gathering her traveling clothes that she laid down on her bed a few hours before and started to change with the help of her maid.

"Ay, child, you should have rested. You're going to tire easily in our journey," she said exasperatedly, buzzing around the room like a worker bee, trying to find something that has yet to be done. After declaring that everything was packed, she said, "I will have the guards carry these trunks of yours. You will have to eat breakfast as you ride Melithel. Lord Elrond did not wait for you anymore to come down for breakfast. He already took his fare a couple of hours ago. Be at the stables in fifteen minutes, child." With that, Nyeath patted Arienne's cheek and walked out of the door. After surveying herself in front of a mirror for the last time, dressed in a green tunic and leggings and her boots, she knew it was time to leave. Arienne looked around the place and closed the door to the room that she had called hers for the past millennia.

It was time to go back to Eryn Lagaslen to attend the engagement party of her sister to the Prince of Mirkwood.

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please review! :)


	3. Reunions and Preparations

**Disclaimer:** Legolas/OC Fic, AU. LoTR characters are not mine but Tolkien's.

**A/N:** Fiction will not follow the canon. Some dates will be accurate, some will not be. Inconsistent. Oh...and does anyone want to be my beta reader? ** plus: do you want to see how i picture the characters of my stories? their pictures can be found in the link i posted in my author's page. :)**

* * *

**Aielenamin**  
**Chapter 3 - Reunions and Preparations**

**Five Days later...**

Journeying made Arienne generally disoriented with her surroundings but at that moment, she knew exactly where they were. There was no mistaking the cool and damp air of the forest. It was so very unlike the golden warmth of Rivendell that she had gotten used to. But nonetheless, she felt completely at ease from the familiar scents and sights albeit the slight trepidation that she felt. The place smelled of warm earth and dewy leaves. Of Mirkwood.

They were about to cross the forest that would lead them to the entrance of the kingdom when Lord Elrond began to speak to her in that deep, comforting voice of his. "Is it still how you remembered it to be, child?" he asked kindly, surveying the majestic beech trees that towered above them, light filtering from the dense branches.

"Yes," she answered softly. "So much so that it is as if I've never left the place. It is actually perplexing, it is like the place had been suspended in time," she said as she absentmindedly dug her fingers deeper on her mare's mane to caress it.

Arienne chose not to mention to the Elven lord that she didn't like the way the place looked like it hadn't changed for she knew better: that the family that she left behind, everyone, the prince, would be different from the way she remembered them. She would have to relearn how they act and speak. It was a scary and confusing feeling that was slowly engulfing her senses. Especially now that she was summoned by both her father _and_ her sister to help out with the wedding preparations.

She glanced back behind them and saw Elohir and Elledan talking with the two guards on horseback, she found it oddly nice that the twins wanted to escort her back to Mirkwood even though they both denied that, saying that they had official business to attend to. But she knew better. Nyeath was silently reading a book, letting her horse follow the one in front of it instead of steering it herself, and five other guards that were managing the trunks that they brought along with them. The Evenstar was to come to the celebration itself with the Dunedain six months from that day.

"You never really told me how you felt about Kethaera marrying the prince," Elrond started. He knew that there was more to the young elleth that she was leading him on.

Arienne smiled serenely and shrugged her shoulders in reply. "What is there to say but that I am happy about their forthcoming union?"

Elrond looked at her with his wisdom-filled eyes as if estimating the truthfulness of her answer. "You once told me about your _phase_ with Greenleaf, my dear. Do you think I would overlook that?" he asked, teasing the elleth.

Laughing softly at his attempt, she set the truth straight for him. "It has been a long time, I was but a fourteen year old child who still had stars in her eyes. I adored him as a child for he was the epitome of the dashing princes in the stories Nyeath read to me before I went to sleep. But then, now that I look back at those days, I know how much of a foolish girl I was, and how kind the prince was truly to me." Arienne paused, conjuring the fading image of the Prince in her mind. Smiling quietly, she added with a hint of pride, "I have grown up to be a proper lady since if you haven't noticed, my lord. No more romping on the palace gardens and climbing impossibly high trees as my father had warned you."

"A proper lady, indeed!" Elohir called out from behind with a snicker. "Oh but we know better!"

"At least I know how to tell which ivy is poisonous from the other," she retorted with an evil glint in her eye. "It wasn't me who wiped their beh—"

"Okay! Okay! You win! You're a proper lady!" Elohir yelled, accepting defeat as Arienne batted her lashes at him.

Elrond watched the cousins banter with each other with affection. "But that is true, you _have_ grown up. And that is why I am escorting you back to your father for I cannot handle all the marriage proposals that have passed me by these past few centuries!" he said jokingly, a smile tugging at his lips.

"If you wanted me out of your hands so much, then why didn't you just handed me over to any one of those who proposed?" she asked with a grin on her face as she glanced over at the lord.

"That is because even if I am not your father, I know you deserved so much more than those randy nobles," he explained affectionately. "You have a good head on your shoulders, my dear, and you're intelligent, lacking on every weaponry skills, but intelligent, nonetheless," he added, grinning at her ineptness with weapons.

"It's not my fault that Elohir and Elledan over there," she made her voice louder, careening her head to their direction, "refused to train me when I was younger!"

"Arienne, dear cousin, lady of our lonely nights, the swords that we had those times were _taller_ than you," Elohir explained half-exasperatedly, half-dramatically to the impish elleth's accusation.

"That's true and when you did grow taller, you refused to wake up early in the morning to train with us. So tell us kind lady, how it became _our_ fault," Elledan questioned lazily but was given a wry look by the elleth.

"Least you could do was make it seem like I wanted to know how. You didn't have to divulge my laziness to everyone," she dryly to the two who just laughed at her. "I am just grateful that you didn't make me marry one of those two imbeciles," she said to Elrond, rolling her eyes.

"I pride myself at being a good guardian to you Arienne, I wouldn't even dream of torturing you that way," he answered meaningfully before laughing at her shocked expression.

"We heard that!" Elohir and Elledan shouted at the two conspirators in front of them but laughing nonetheless with them.

It hadn't been always like that. She, accompanying the king and his sons to places and becoming somewhat a fixture in the family. But after Arwen Undomiel chose to love the mortal man, Aragorn, Lord Elrond sought to find a new female presence in the house. Who could be better than niece of his deceased wife, Arienne? She became closer to the royal family and enjoyed many privileges including being able to live in the palace grounds rather than in one of the numerous courts in the kingdom. Elrond enjoyed her company immensely for she was very thoughtful and caring to the new men in her life.

With Elrond now busy discussing politics with his sons at the middle of the travelling party, she had more time to think about her forthcoming arrival to Eryn Lagaslen. The truth was that when she received the news and summons from her father and sister, she was surprised. The old childish crush couldn't be suppressed and it made her heart lurch for a second. But she quickly gained her composure, chuckling a little bit at her unexpected reaction to the news. Legolas finally took notice of her sister a year after coming home from the war of the ring on the night of the Ehtele'mele festival. And then proposed to her four years later.

In the note, Kethaera was already apologizing to her sister even before she said the news in the letter. But there was nothing to apologize for, her sister was a beauty with a good heart to match. Legolas would be a fool not to see that. She had no right, of course, to feel bad for there was simply nothing to feel bad about. She had known him as a child and now, a thousand years later, she barely knew who he was. Though she was oddly hoping that even though it had been a long time since he had seen her, he would still be the kindly prince she once knew.

The Rivendellian party had used the shortcut that lead directly to the entrance of the royal palace that stood in front of a rocky mountain that seemed to protect it from behind. The upcoming feast for the first part of the engagement party was resulting in a large flurry. Delivery wagons were coming and going through the gates of the palace with the guards inspecting them before letting them in. Milkmaids with their jugs, carpenters with their toolboxes, florists with their assistants carrying bouquets of multi-colored flowers, butchers with large knives at their waists and musicians carrying their instruments were milling around, trying to find where they had to be.

The guards at the entrance bowed simultaneously when they realized that they had arrived. Reik, the High Guard of Mirkwood greeted them. "Welcome to Eryn Lagaslen, my lords and ladies. Theronal and Fisari will escort you to the manor itself," the head guard said, bowing again.

"Thank you Reik," Elrond said, his horse following the two guards in front of them.

Arienne spied what seemed like the kitchen entrance and decided that it was the most busy section of the courtyard. Parked wagons carried numerous oak barrels filled with Evermead, Saerloonian Glowfire, Arabellan Dry, Berdruskan Dark and even Elverquisst wines. Cages full of pigeons were being carried by two servants as well as sacks of nuts, spices and dried fruits. Jars of preserves, jellies and colorful marmalades were on another wagon along with baskets of carrots, cabbages, potatoes and other leafy vegetables. Large slabs of reddish meat, marbled by fat were partially covered by cloth; a trough was next to the entrance of the door with live fish jumping up from the water with stray cats eyeing the fare from a distance. The children were having fun poking the numerous live chickens that had their feet tied to the wheel of the wagon. Just then the baker arrived with what seemed like three wagons full of freshly baked crusty breads, sticky pastries and different kinds of cakes.

"Thranduil seems to have gone all out for this feast," Elrond said observantly, glancing at the spectacle that they had passed. "And this is just the first engagement party." Elves go through an elaborate ritual before getting married, at least three pre-wedding feasts that measured the wealth of the family, a year-long engagement, a mating ritual and finally the wedding itself.

"I think you would do the same if Elohir or Elledan gets married,"

"True. But seeing those two be content with just chasing anything that wears a skirt, it's impossible to imagine them getting married," he said with a sigh.

"They may surprise you one day, you'll see." Just then, the two guards stopped at the entrance of the castle.

"We are here my lord."

It made her still for a while as she took in the same dizzyingly numerous steps that lead to the hall of the main manor. She had spent countless of hours in her childhood playing on those steps with her dolls or chatting up the prince. She had been so busy seeing the flurry near the kitchen that the nearness of what was once so familiar to her was temporarily ignored by her senses.

The nervousness that she felt when she left Rivendell was back, it was speedily coursing its way through her veins. There was the pair of marble bears that stood at the entrance of the doors; she had been at its back once when Legolas heaved her up to grant her request to see the sights from the shoulders of the bears. There also stood the strong pillars that were covered with ivy, arches that seem to welcome the sunlight as well as the gnarled trees that seemed to grow and entwine themselves all over the manor.

She was finally home.

Word had apparently reached fast the occupants of the household for a slight figure appeared at the entrance, her hair loose and was breathless from running. Kethaera. "Arienne!" she called out happily, running down all 80 steps to meet her sister. Arienne jumped off her horse and ran to meet her halfway. Their embrace was heartfelt and touched the hearts of those who saw the reunion of the two sisters. "Oh Eru! It's been such a long time! I've missed you so much!" Kethaera said, kissing her sister's face all over as they laughed together.

"I, too, missed you dear sister," she said sincerely. "It looks like a war has been unleashed from all these preparations! You're getting married!" she squealed giddily.

"I know, and I'm happy about it," Kethaera said softly. Arienne frowned inwardly after seeing the look at her sister's eyes, yet a moment later it was gone. "It's been like this for the past two days. If you had come sooner, you would have gone mad from all these," she said, looking around. She spied Lord Elrond and the twins as they appeared behind Arienne. "Lord Elrond, Elohir and Elledan, _cormamin lindua ele lle au',_" she said, curtsying at the three lords.

"What is this? We don't get a hug like Arienne? We're disappointed at you cousin. Just because you're marrying the prince—" Ellohir didn't get to finish his sentence when Kethaera hugged the twins happily. "That's more I like it!" he said, grinning at her.

"It is good to see you again, child," Elrond said in his customary serene smile albeit amused at his son's bait at the future queen.

But their laughter and good cheer was interrupted when a deep voice cleared his throat. Arienne whipped her head to the sound, her breath caught at her throat. "_A'mael kumba!_" she whispered joyously her endearment for the older man to herself before running to the figure she hadn't seen in a long time.

Corellon Lasfaelgen embraced his beloved youngest daughter with tears in his eyes. "_Nae saian luume', tinuamin_," he whispered tenderly to her ear. "I am glad you're home for good," he said, kissing her forehead.

"I missed you so father," she said tearfully before giggling like a child. "Your belly seems to have grown rounder," she commented laughingly at him as he rubbed his belly. Elves are normally slim and rarely stray away from their natural frame. And yet, Corellon developed a belly rounder than normal elves have. Arienne suspected that it was because of her father's love for wine.

Corellon greeted the Lords from Rivendell and clasped Nyeath's hands as a familiar gesture. "You must all be so weary from your travels. Your rooms have been prepared already," he said jovially as the guards who escorted them there helped with the trunks as they started to lead them to their rooms. "The feast will start three hours after sundown," he reminded Elrond and his sons.

"_Doila Ile_, Corellon, we shall see each other later," Elrond said at his old friend after clasping each other's arms in greeting.

Kethaera stood behind her sister and clasped her hand, "You should rest _seler'_, you have been on a long journey. Come, I'll lead you to your old room. It still hasn't been changed at all."

Arienne finally felt the fatigue that had been eluding her for the past few days of their journey. It would be nice to take a long nap before preparing for the feast that night. "Now that you have mentioned it, I am indeed very tired," she said as she followed her sister and father climb up the marble stairs. It seemed like it had more steps than she had last remembered.

Curiously enough, she had not remembered the prince...

* * *

**translations, etc.:**  
_ Ehtele'mele _- Elven festival. Vernal equinox. A week of romance and song.  
_ Evermead _- the elven mead, imported from evermeet.  
_ Saerloonian Glowfire _- wine, luminous, taste reminiscent of pears.  
_ Arabellan Dry _- fine red wine, very dry woodsy overtones and a slight berry taste.  
_ Berdruskan Dark _- heavy sweet and burning, almost black, HIGH alcohol content.  
_ Elverquisst _- a ruby-colored liquor magically distilled from sunshine and rare summer fruits. Utterly smooth, the liquor is nonetheless flecked with gold and has an iridescence of both color and flavor. It is highly prized at all times, but in the autumn rituals it is savored as if it is the gift of one final, perfect summer day.  
_ cormamin lindua ele lle au' _- my heart sings to see thee again.  
_ A'mael kumba! _- Beloved belly!  
_ Nae saian luume', tinuamin _- it has been too long, my daughter.  
_ Doila Ile _- Thank You.  
_ seler' _- sister

**AN:** finally, she's home. if you're good enough with reviewing, she _might_ meet the prince (at last!) on the next chapter. ;) please review! :)


	4. To Meet a Prince

**Disclaimer:** Legolas/OC Fic, AU. LoTR characters are not mine but Tolkien's.

**A/N:** Fiction will not follow the canon. Some dates will be accurate, some will not be. Inconsistent. Oh...and does anyone want to be my beta reader? ** plus: do you want to see how i picture the characters of my stories? their pictures can be found in the link i posted in my author's page. :)**

**evil duckie of the black lagoon** - thanks for the reviews...you're actually reviewing every chapter! ;)  
**iwishchan** - in this chapter. :)  
**dark elvish angel of shadow** - not that i know of. i guess it's not since time doesn't matter to them at all. :)  
**remixer** - i hope you get to read this, thanks for the review. i'll keep that suggestion in mind. i like it. ;)  
**jenn** - 1000 years...not just 10 years. :P thanks. :)

* * *

**Aielenamin**  
**Chapter 4 - To Meet a Prince**

Arienne barely had the strength to appreciate the preserved beauty of her old room for her spirit was completely drained from the journey. She bid her sister and father before going inside her room. Stripping off her dirty traveling clothes that she had on for the past two days, she did not bother with taking a bath anymore. Sleep was a more pressing matter for the exhausted elleth at hand. Her body welcomed the vaguely familiar satin sheets before falling into the deep chasm of sleep.

_She was happily exploring the vast grounds of the nearby woods, hopping from one branch to another with only one real direction in mind. The young one rather liked the solace of being alone in the woods with her favorite doll that was given to her by Legolas a couple of years ago. While her sister was busy with gossiping and studying, whichever amused them more, she favored playing by herself. Kethaera didn't have much interest with the outdoors and preferred embroidery and singing._

Of course, Arienne found out that at that hour, Legolas would be near the woods so she decided to spy on her object of childish affections to pass time. The tree she chose gave her a good view of the grounds near the woods and enough foliage to hide her from him. Situating her doll and folding her dress around her, she waited for him to come, hoping that Nyeath was still busy in the kitchens since they were short of able hands for the day and would not come looking for her.

Fifteen minutes later, the unmistakable head of flowing blond hair came into view, whistling a soft melody as he walked to the west end of the woods where the keeper of the stables lived. The young one couldn't keep a wide smile from her face, she wanted so much to climb down from the tree so that she could walk with him but knew he was doing an important errand for the king. So Arienne strained her ears to hear what they were talking about instead.

All she heard was that there would be five thoroughbreds coming from Rohan later that was sent by King Thedeon and had to be received by the prince accompanied by the keeper. She stretched her body facedown to have a clearer view of the two as they waited for the horses to arrive.

"I hear that it was no easy bargain for the king to get new horses," the keeper commented to the prince.

"That is true," he said, shaking his head as he remembered the way the two kings bargained with each other. "Thedeon wanted two dozen quality bows in exchange for five white thoroughbreds. Of course father was not pleased with the suggestion since it takes fine wood and a skilled weapons master to carve such bows. But in the end, he agreed since there is no match for Rohan horses."

Finally their elven hearing detected the unmistakable powerful pounding of hooves. Only horses that were bred in Rohan could be that spirited, Legolas thought to himself with excitement at having the chance to tame those horses. A young female human dismounted from the mean-looking black horse and bowed in front of the prince. From where Arienne was, she saw that she had stared at the prince far longer than she had which made her frown.

"Do you think she likes Legolas, Thuniel?" she whispered to her doll, disliking the human already as she talked amiably with the prince. Her_ prince._

"I think she does too," she answered her doll after 'hearing' its affirmative reply. A frown was growing on her pixie face.

Deciding that she didn't like the human at all, she silently climbed down the tall mallorn tree and snuck up behind the horses. But before she could make her presence known, the clumsy elf managed to trip and bump the hind leg of one of the thoroughbreds. The powerful horse suddenly bucked up and neighed loudly much to the horror of the three adults, especially Legolas who immediately spied the splash of red cloth lying on the grass. He would know that face anywhere which was now disoriented but quickly being frightened by the bucking horse.

"Oh Valar! Arienne! Stay down!" Legolas shouted, terror lacing his voice as the horse continued to buck up and down already missing the young elf's face twice. He sprinted to where Arienne was, scooping the terrified elleth in his arms, dumping both of their bodies far from danger. The mortal woman quickly harnessed the horse to calm it down but it seemed like it was the prince who needed it more.

"Ile amada! What were you thinking hiding behind that horse?! You could have died, you foolish child! It could have smashed you into pieces and killed you! Your father will have hunted me down if something happened to you! Why did you think up such a foolish deed?!" he asked the already terrified child, shaking her by the shoulders.

Arienne still hadn't registered in her mind why Legolas was screaming at her until seconds later. Her eyes started to brim with tears. She let out a loud wail as the trauma finally sank in. First, the wild horse then Legolas shaking her violently. Her cries pierced the young prince's heart until he realized what he had done to the already very frightened child.

He gathered the tiny elf into his arms and rocked her gently, letting her cry in his arms. His heart constricted as he felt her shake with fright and her continued sobs. "Shhhhh, it's alright aielenamin_. It's going to be alright, you're safe now," he whispered, trying to calm his racing heart. He could not shake off the terror he felt when he saw the horse nearly miss her head. He continued to say soothing words to the child who was slowly calming down, alternating his apologies with the assurances. "I'm sorry, so sorry _tellelah_. It's going to be fine now."_

Minutes later, Nyeath came tearing down the grounds screaming for her charge. She found her in the arms of the prince, already deep in sleep. The horses had been taken away by the mortal and the keeper leaving the prince to fend off for the child. Apparently, the news reached the nurse quickly who was now scared out of her wits. Legolas stood up, carrying Arienne in his arms. "She almost died Nyeath, and I shouted at her for her folly," he confessed, his face full of remorse.

Nyeath laid a hand on his shoulder to console him. "Know that you saved her life my lord, and that is what's important."

Ten solid hours later, Arienne was being shaken awake by Nyeath. The sun had already set an hour ago and the girl hadn't shown itself to anyone since she fell asleep that morning. Nyeath knew that if she didn't wake up that moment, the girl will not be ready for the feast. Thankfully, Arienne blinked open her eyes to adjust to the darkness. "Nyeath?" she called out sleepily.

"It's about time you woke up," the older woman answered, lighting several candles in the room. The music from the gathering hall could be heard already. From the balcony, they could see the grounds lit up by thousands of candles and decorated with white flowers. "Kethaera had been asking for you all afternoon but I told her you were still weary. You only have time to have a quick bath," she informed the girl as she sat up her bed, still quite disoriented.

"Only a quick bath? _Nan amin ikotane waara, Nyeath_," she whined at her, standing up and watching her open the golden pipes which let steaming water from the brook to flow into the bathtub. Arienne quickly pulled off her dressing gown and sighed deeply.

"Well it serves you right for not getting enough rest when we stopped at night in the journey," she said disapprovingly, pouring in some rose scented oils into the water. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get into the tub child, your sister wants to spend time with you."

Her words were only met with a deep sigh, laced with confusion. Nyeath waited to ask the young elleth until she was in the tub. "What seems to be in your mind?"

Arienne yawned and rubbed her eyes, picking up a sponge to scrub herself. "It's nothing, I just had a weird dream. But I knew it happened to me long ago. Do you remember when I was almost killed by a horse delivered from Rohan?"

Nyeath gasped from behind as she furiously scrubbed Arienne's back as she remembered the memory. "Do I remember? Child, I am still terrified for you even after all these years!" she exclaimed, shaking her head. "If not for the prince who ran to you before you got crushed, you would not be here right now."

"I know that all too well. It's just that I dreamt about it," she whispered. Nyeath on the other hand, was intent on cleaning her up as quick as she could.

"You rinse yourself while I get your clothes," she ordered her after finishing lathering Arienne's thick hair. "What would you rather prefer, the muted blue taffeta or the cream muslin?"

"The cream muslin would be fine," she answered, getting out of the tub after rinsing her hair. She felt so much better than when she had arrived, especially now that she had had her sleep and bath. If someone directed her to the food, she would be fine and dandy as a cat with a bowlful of cream. Nyeath dried her off before helping her put on the lovely evening gown, its silhouette complimenting the maiden's lean figure perfectly. They both decided that since it was a cool evening, they would leave the hair down with the exception of a small braid running the length of her hair which was entwined by tiny roses.

An hour after they had started with the transformation, Arienne immediately felt more like herself. She loved the outdoors but did not mind the comforts of being indoors. Finally, Nyeath handed her an emerald colored cape to ward off the chill outside.

Coming down the winding staircase, she spied the many lords and ladies from Mirkwood and faraway lands reacquainting themselves with each other, glad to have the opportunity that the feast brought. In the middle of the hall was Kethaera, laughing gaily with her friends, both married and unmarried. Her father was beside the King along with Elrond, surveying their handiwork for the night.

_I'm finally here and yet, I feel so scared,_ she thought to herself, her heart pounding inconspicuously in her chest as she pulled her cape closer to her body. She needed some time alone to pep herself up. Silently, hoping against hope that she wouldn't be noticed, she walked out of the hall and out into the brightly lit gardens. But she was stopped short by the sight that greeted her. It was also filled with well-dress ladies escorted by dashing noble elves. Even the well, south of the gardens, where she used to pass time alone as a child was occupied. There was no escape for her.

"I never would have figured you out to grow up as a lady who would not want to be noticed," a deep and particularly amused male voice said behind her.

She whirled behind her and found the last person she expected. For one shock-filled moment, her heart slammed into her ribcage painfully and yet she continued to stare at him. Her eyes only saw the blue pools of his eyes and the self-assured look on his face as if he had been expecting her. _He has grown even more handsome than the last time I saw him, possibly even bluer eyes,_ she mused to herself. But she then remembered to finally breathe as well as her manners as she dropped into an effortless curtsy. "Your highness," she greeted him, trying her damnest to keep her eyes down and her voice from the tremors.

Legolas reached for her to stand up, amusement lacing his demeanor. "You have never insisted upon calling me that when you were a child, why start now? I would embrace and twirl you like before but I do not think that would be appropriate seeing the cirmumstances that we are in now," he said, his eyes twinkling.

Arienne stood up straight and realized that she didn't have to preen her head up to see his face. Before she could help herself, she let out a small laugh at the realization. She _had_ grown up alright.

"You still haven't changed _tellelah_, you still enjoy having your own world to laugh at," he said mockingly. He offered his arm and said, "Come, let's take a little walk around the grounds like we used to."

Yet the elleth remained mute, she could not seem to produce the words that she wanted to say. So instead, simply nodded and took his arm. It was overwhelming to say the least to be near her childhood crush again. "_Amin alade_," she managed to blurt out.

He turned his head her way and smiled, "_Amin ele tanya_."

"No, no. What I meant was that I _grew_ up. I can see your face now," she explained gaily at the thought she had moments before thanking the Valar that she finally found her speech. She saw the amused look that formed on his face. "I used to only see your face when you crouched low to talk to me when I do something that displeased you."

"Well, have you noticed anything different then?"

"Merely that your nose looks longer, your eyes smaller and fine lines are sprouting everywhere. Oh, are those white hairs that I detect as well?" she asked rapidly without thinking. "A true relic indeed!" It took her seconds to realize what she had just said, her face growing paler. She wasn't a child anymore for Eru's sake and more importantly, he was marrying her sister and yet she still had that gall to insult him freely like before! She frantically started to apologize to him, her cheeks flusing hotly, "Oh Eru! I apologize for what I said, it's just that—"

Arienne was stopped short when she heard him laugh at her. Deep, gusty sounds of mirth that she had to look at him dubiously if he had already too much to drink at that early hour.

"Oh I truly missed your sharp mouth, little one. You still haven't changed a bit," he said, laughter still dancing in his deep azure eyes. "I shall catch up with you later after all this chaos is over," he promised, not feeling the least bit hesitant to kiss her on her forehead like before.

Arienne didn't even had the chance to say anything when he turned around after a few paces. "And _aielenamin_?"

"Yes?" the shocked elleth managed to croak out upon hearing him call out his old endearment for her, a millennia after hearing it last.

"Do save me a dance, alright?" he reminded her with a smile.

"Of course."

And he left to go back inside.

Upon digesting the fact that she finally saw him, talked with him, teased him like old times, she felt the familiar hollow feeling deep in her stomach come back. _Damn him!_

* * *

_Oh she had grown up, alright,_ Legolas smiled inwardly to himself as he blocked out the droning sounds of one of his father's numerous friends who was currently talking to him about the new bow that he had acquired lately. The prince watched the once tiny elf that he took care of wander aimlessly into the hall with that eternally confused face that she opted to wear once she came down from her room. _She's probably looking for Kethaera,_ he mused, knowing well that his betrothed was in one of the many rooms of the palace with her friends discussing the wedding plans.

When he saw her appear from the corner of the room, stepping down from the staircase, he immediately knew that it was her. It was stupid of him to think that she would stay the adoring elfling who used to follow him around especially after the puzzling way she greeted him a while ago. The elleth that stood before him in the gardens was cool and collected, not anymore the frivolous child who would do anything to get him to notice her. And not only did she grow up, she learned some manners..._or not._

And yet as he scrutinized her from afar, he still saw traces of the tellelah in the elleth in the hall now. In the presence of familiar company, she let down her stiff decorum completely. He saw her let it down when she again teased him about being a _relic_. _That imp,_ Legolas thought as he remembered the recent memory. But somehow, she knew that he wasn't the old Legolas she knew so she had to be the proper lady she has become over the years. He watched her silently as she wove her way through the crowd to where Elohir and Elledan were pouring themselves some wine, demanding to have some herself. She was nudging Elledan to pour her some until she had to resort to stamping on his foot for him to finally comply. The elf's surprised cry was muffled by the soft, tinkling laugh of the elleth and Elohir. He took a sip from his own wine glass, nodding his head at whatever the man in front of him was saying.

From the moment he found out that she was coming back to Mirkwood to help with the wedding preparations and eventually stay for good, he couldn't help but feel excited. It was not true that he hadn't seen her in a thousand years. The truth was that he came to see how his little charge was doing every century without her knowing. He was unable to really come to her for he knew that even without anyone telling him, that her sudden need to move to Rivendell was somehow related to his last departure from Mirkwood. Upon his arrival from his travels, he was upset to learn that the _tellelah_ had not waited for him to return before leaving until he found out from her father the distress she was in before she left.

Kethaera finally appeared from where she had been with her friends, letting out a cry of joy upon seeing her sister. The two girls, so alike yet so different in many ways, talked animatedly with each other, leaving their friends and cousins to fend for themselves. But at that moment, King Thranduil decided to speak to his guests.

"Revered and esteemed guests from Mirkwood and from faraway lands, I greet you this beautiful evening the Valars had blessed for us," he said, raising his goblet to the colorful crowd. "Tonight we gather as we celebrate the forthcoming union of my son, Legolas Thranduillon and Lord Corellon Lasfaelgen's daughter, the Lady Kethaera Lasfaelgen with a feast!" As was required, even at opposite ends of the grand hall, Kethaera and Legolas looked at each other with adoring eyes. Thranduil gave them a look of approval before continuing, "Let us drink and be merry for the happiness of their union! _Aaye Legolas ar' Kethaera!_"

"_Aaye Legolas ar' Kethaera!_" the crowd cheered, raising their wine goblets to the couple.

Nobody took notice of the swift pain that crossed Arienne's eyes for even she did not know it had crossed her unnaturally serene face for a brief moment. That is, except for a certain perceptive Elven prince.

* * *

**Translations:**  
_Ile amada!_ - You Fool!  
_Nan amin ikotane waara, Nyeath._ - But I am so dirty, Nyeath.  
_Amin alade _- I grew up.  
_Amin ele tanya._ - I see that.  
_Aaye Legolas ar' Kethaera! _- Hail Legolas and Kethaera!

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please be nice and review me! :) i have three chapters written already! so give me reason to update! :)


	5. Suppressing Old Feelings

**Disclaimer:** Legolas/OC Fic, AU. LoTR characters are not mine but Tolkien's.

**A/N:** Fiction will not follow the canon. Some dates will be accurate, some will not be. Inconsistent. Oh...and does anyone want to be my beta reader? ** plus: do you want to see how i picture the characters of my stories? their pictures can be found in the link i posted in my author's page. :)**

im sorry for the few days of wait, this week is HELLISH. i actually have chapter 5 written but i didn't have much time to upload it. i have long tests and a play this weekend and i haven't slept very much although the good news is i've already written chapters 6 and 7...so yeah! :)

**Titan D'Artangnia, jenn, tara, elrohir, dae, PrincessCelede, WolfGirlOfTheFlame, Orlando's Hot Chick** - thanks! :)  
**Navaer Lalaith** - I appreciate the help, i really would like to change the names and the elvish stuff but i'm afraid i'll just do that for the succeeding chapters. thanks again so much! :)  
**The Last Duchess** - I've read your story when you started to write it back in 2002...i think I reviewed you back then, i was prodigalwriter. :) oh...and you ain't seen nuthin' yet (with the pairings... ;P)!  
**dark elvish angel of shadow** - 2940? around that. :)  
**iwishchan** - you'll see it soon. :)  
**Green Eyed Elf Goddess** - i'll be doing more twists! ;)  
**remixer** - wait. ;) i concieved an idea. ;)

* * *

**Aielenamin**  
**Chapter 5 - Suppressing Old Feelings**

"I hear you've been the belle of Rivendell lately, especially when Arwen married Lord Aragorn."

"Impossible," Arienne scoffed loudly, rolling her eyes as she stretched herself on the bed. "With Elohir and Elledan refusing to get off my back all the time, it's a mystery how I even get to get out of my room."

"You've got it in for you now, dear _seler'_, especially now that I'm about to get married," Kethaera said, warning her sister of her impending _doom._

"Whatever do you mean by that?" Arienne asked puzzledly.

Her older sister pressed the tip of her sister's nose lightly, grinning mischievously. "Father will be pushing you endlessly into finding a suitable bridegroom, mark my words," she wistfully. "I heard him talk to Lord Morgeth about his son Giralfin—"

"GIRALFIN?!" Arienne screeched, horrified at the prospect, sitting up from her lying position next to her sister. "Oh Eru! He is _disgusting_! He shoves his finger up his nose every time he thinks no one is looking! I saw him do it dozens of times last night at the feast! When I pointed it out to Elledan, he spat out the Evermead that he was about to swallow! He even cut off in the middle of my dance with the prince! I had no choice but to let him hold my waist! I shudder to think where his hands have been before that!"

Kethaera laughed at her sister's shocked expression, sitting up herself as well. It had been a good night catching up with each other as they slept in Kethaera's room for the night. Both woke up at the same time after getting only a few hours of rest from all the catching up they did. "Don't worry dear one, I'm sure father will be good enough to find you a better husband," she remarked, pushing strands of stray hair away from her face. "I just wish father took a little more time in looking for a suitable husband for me," she added softly, the unmistakable flicker in her eyes very much like the one last night appeared once more.

Arienne frowned and said, "You're marrying Legolas, I mean, his highness, shouldn't you be excited about that?"

"I didn't have the same obsession you had for him even when I was younger," Kethaera pointed out, teasing the now-flushing elleth.

"I was but a child back then!" she protested hotly. "And besides, I thought you love each other. He told me so when we danced last night," she added softly.

"Legolas, Legolas," Kethaera mused, thinking about her future husband. She had known him for a long time and yet, she could not feel very comfortable around him. She loved the gay laughter and games that she always had in the palace, the constant activities and excitement of the days but Legolas, on the other hand, was more comfortable with his duties, sports and other quiet recreations. "He is a good choice, I can't complain about that. Yet, I feel that I cannot be myself when he is around," Kethaera started, choosing her words carefully. "Don't mistake me though, I love him...But it is more of a comfortable love, none of the passion I _crave_."

Arienne's heart seemed to leap at what her sister was saying but immediately felt guilty at how she was feeling. "What about the prince? What does he say about all these?"

The older elleth fingered the hem of her nightgown, staring of in the distance of the balcony, "He knew it was time to settle down for him and produce an heir. The way he treats me is like the brotherly way he used to treat you as a child. Somewhat protective but that is all it ever is and apparently, will be."

"Then why are you marrying him then if it's not all that you've ever really wanted?" Arienne asked, getting really confused about her sister and Legolas' choice about each other. Surely they felt something special about the other, other than just filial love?

Ketheara turned to the younger elf who was wearing a frown on her face. "Because at some point, you realize that there are qualities in him that are nobler than anyone in this land. And deep inside, you somehow hope that passion will result from the marriage one day. That is how both father and King Thranduil explained to me when I voiced out my repercussions."

"You told them you _didn't_ love the prince?!" Arienne screeched for the second time that morning before having her mouth covered by her sister's hand. "You _told_ them you didn't feel it was a right match? _Are you out of your mind_?!" she hissed at her sister incredulously.

She chuckled at her sister's reactions and shook her head. "I didn't say I didn't _love_ him! I just, I knew that if I didn't speak up, I might end up in a marriage that is lacking in passion. I feel comfortable with him, I love his friendship, and yet we lack passion. I do not have any idea if we will even go through the mating ritual before the wedding," she added, uncomfortably blushing at the thought. "And besides, I do think that I will be a better wife than those insipid and vapid cows who have been after him for a long time."

"That's true," Arienne said thoughtfully, thinking that she wouldn't want to be in her sister's position that only has the faint promise of having true love only _after_ getting married.

"Would you like to trade places with me? This _is_ Legolas after all, the object of your childhood dreams," Kethaera said teasingly at her sister whose jaws dropped at the absurd proposal.

"Wha—huh—wha...?" Arienne sputtered, trying to piece out a coherent sentence at her sister's out of the blue suggestion. "Are you kidding me?!" she asked incredulously at her laughing sister. "The last time I saw that elf lord was when I was 14 years old, barely out of my diapers and now _you_ want _me_ to marry him? I don't even know the first thing about him anymore," she said, shaking her head.

Kethaera slid out of her four-poster bed, draped with translucent silver and blue silken cloth with a shrug. "Well, it is just a suggestion. Oh well, it can't be _that_ bad, right? He _is_ terribly handsome," she said, winking at her sister.

"Why do you think I had that childish crush? Because he was the King's son? Nay. Only because he was handsome," Arienne said laughing with her sister, pulling on her slippers and robe. "We really should get ready; we'll soon be called for breakfast."

* * *

**After Breakfast...**

Arienne decided to visit the old places the she used to spend so much time in when she was a child. With a book in hand and her green cape in another, she strapped the small dagger Elohir and Elledan had gifted her. They said it's better to be armed and not know how to use it than to be seen without one. They never allowed her to go off on her own unless she showed them that she had the dagger securely strapped on her ankle and concealed well by her boots.

Choosing to pass through the gardens, she spied the old well where she used to drop in rocks. The last time she saw it, the curved blocks were beautifully white-washed and the wooden bucket atop the ledge. Now some blocks were missing and the bucket was nowhere to be found. _Take'th and lost,_ she mused to herself, continuing her walk. She missed the old mallorn trees that she befriended long time ago so she began her long trek towards the woods to rekindle the old friendships she had. Being among the old and sturdy trees soothed her, she could hear their whispers of recognition upon seeing her. Finding the old mallorn tree that she once used to climb up on to spy on Legolas, she situated herself, marveling at the beautiful expanse of the lands. As a child, she did not savor the sights; only one caught her eye back then. But now, on the branch, older and wiser, she found that she could see the valley, the elven flets dotting the tress below as well as the grandiose manors of the lords and ladies, placed higher up the grounds. The clear blue sky roofing the enchanting Eryn Lagaslen.

Sighing contentedly, she opened her book and started to read. The book was borrowed from the private library of Elrond in Rivendell, _The Lord of the Rings by Bilbo and Frodo Baggins_. She had known Bilbo and found him to be an animated story-teller. She had enjoyed countless days just listening to him tell his tales about dragons and adventures.

She lovingly fingered the spine of the beautifully written book. It wasn't the first time she read about the heroics of the Nine Walkers, especially the ones about Legolas. But her mind drifted off frequently to the conversation she had with her sister that morning. _I can't believe she actually suggested that,_ she reflected with a soft smile. Seeing the prince last night was truly a shock and yet, there it still was: the way he treated her as if she was still a young child. She had grown up physically, but to the prince, she was still _aielenamin_, his little star. _Old habits truly die hard,_ she added half-saddened by the thought as she continued to stare at the map of the Shire that Bilbo Baggings had drawn on the book.

The elleth almost missed hearing the heavy hooves that were coming her way due to her thoughts. Gazing at the approaching sounds, she saw the prince riding a beautiful, spirited and terrifyingly large horse as he guided another horse behind them. It was snorting like a very angry beast, driving itself to ride faster. Melithel, her mare, was behind it, trying to catch up with the speeding horse.

She waited as they approached her, the prince spying her as she stood up on the branch that she was on. "Kethaera told me I might find you here," he shouted from below, rearing his horse carefully. "Come down from there, I want to introduce you to someone," he said smiling, watching her vault the branch easily to reach the bottom.

Arienne approached Melithel, rubbing its velvety nose affectionately, "Did you miss me, you beautiful creature?"

"Of course, I did," Legolas answered with a grin.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I said _beautiful creature_, not orc-face," she smirked at the prince who was dismounting from his large steed laughing. "So who do you want me to meet?"

"Do you remember the horse that almost killed you?"

"By any chance that's him?" she asked nervously, glancing cautiously at the large beast who eyed her with its depthless eyes, snorting at them. It had an inky black coat, shiny as if it had been oiled throughout its body, its height almost towering Legolas who was calmly looking at her.

"This is one of its descendants, Morsul. But everyone calls it, _Ostaen'lote_," he said drolly, scratching his head watching her dissolve in peals of laughter upon learning the huge, intimidating horse's name.

"Who in Elbereth's name gave him that name?!" she choked out, clutching her sides, looking at the huge horse who was now sniffing her mare.

"Errrr, the horse master thought it would be amusing to call him as such," he explained with a exasperated sigh. "He is my horse," he coughed out, hoping she would not hear that bit.

But she did and that made her laugh even harder, bracing her frame on Melithel's body. "Oh it fits so well! _Defender of Flowers_! Oh Eru! I'm assuming that _you're_ the _flower_ that _he's_ supposed to _defend_?" she asked, laughter still twinkling in her eyes, trying to regain her composure.

"Believe me, _aielenamin_, I tried to suppress people from calling him that but he won't answer to any other name but _Ostaen'lote_," he said sardonically, remembering the teasing he gets every time he has to call the horse when he's with friends. But he wouldn't trade the horse for anything; it was swift as its original name suggests, Black Wind. And it was very loyal and protective towards its master. "Would you care to ride with me?" he asked the lady in front of him.

"I'd love too, as soon as the Great Defender of Flowers moves its face away from the behind of my mare," she said, her lifting her eyebrow at the scene before them that prince had apparently missed.

The prince muttered soft curses as he pulled the horse away from the mare, shaking its head in disapproval. "It seems to have developed an attraction to Melithel," he said, helping her up her horse. "The lilies are abloom in the west bank right now, would you care to see them?" he asked, smiling as her face lit up with the prospect of seeing lilies. He knew that even though there were lilies in Rivendell, there was a better quality of the specie in Mirkwood, the creamier color and the more subdued fragrance was more appealing to the elleth than the ones in the Last Homely House.

"I'd love that," she said softly, remembering the one lily she had lost when she had last seen the prince as a child. Both of their horses were in a comfortable canter as they talk about shallow things, about the feast the night before.

"What book were you reading when I came?" he asked her, glancing at her, the book being clutched by her left hand.

Arienne smiled, showing him the cover of the book to the prince who groaned upon reading the title. "I actually enjoy reading it, this isn't the first time I've read it," she said watching him cringe at her words.

"I can't believe that hobbit wrote everything down," he jokingly muttered to himself, obviously uncomfortable that someone was reading about what he and the rest did to save Middle Earth five years ago.

"I must say, the little hobbit proved to be a good writer. It says here in a section _especially_ dedicated to Legolas Thranduillon, Prince of Eryn Lagaslen, Son of Thranduil Thranduillon, _...The valiant elf had slain most of the goblins in the Mines of Moria with the aid of his bow, as well as killing the cave troll in the tomb of Balin, thus saving my life. He killed hundreds of yrch in the last battle as well as thundering Oliphants—"_

"Oh do stop Arienne," he asked, obviously blushing.

"But it was truly a brave thing you did," she said, glancing at him before closing the book.

"I am a warrior and it was my duty," he answered, downplaying his noble and heroic deeds. Deciding to change the topic quickly "Kethaera tells me that your father might marry you off soon," he casually stated at the elf who unconsciously frowned at the comment. _She still wears her emotions on her sleeves,_ Legolas thought to himself.

"I try not to think about it, believe me," she answered. "My father seems to be hell-bent on finding me a husband who will thoroughly disgust me. Take for example Lord Giralfin, the snotty elf last night," she shuddered at the memory which made Legolas chuckle.

"I think your father will find someone suitable, I think I'm _suitable_ enough for Kethaera," he said with a hint of arrogance.

Arienne rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head. "You're beginning to believe that statement already, my lord," she said drolly.

"Still the same old Arienne, shooting me down," he said fondly to her.

"Not quite the same, my lord—"

"Will you stop it with the 'my lord' business?!"

"As soon as you stop treating me like a child," she retorted.

"How so do I do that?" he asked puzzledly to her.

"You call me by my childhood pet name," she reminded him. "Aielenamin?"

"You don't want me to call you that?"

"Well, seeing that I am not a child anymore, I should think not. Arienne will do now."

"So will Legolas," he told her. "I am marrying your sister and I think it'll be better if you call me that."

"Oh alright, as long as it will be Arienne," she sighed.

"Going back to the part where you were not _quite_ the same..." Legolas trailed, going back to their previous subject.

"Oh. I'm not quite the same, as you see. Because for starters, I'm not the same _hin_ as before whom practically worshipped the ground you walked on," she started wryly, not feeling awkward declaring how loony she must have acted before. "

Legolas laughed as she admitted her actions. "And tell me Arienne, what's so wrong about worshipping the ground I walk on?"

"Merely that the trail you leave stinks like an orc's droppings, now that I remember it," she said breezily.

"Ouch. Straight to my royal heart," he said dryly. "But I am glad that you ceased your foolish actions such as climbing up trees just to spy on me, or asking the head guard where I am to follow me even if I am hunting in the woods," he said amusedly. "It was a good thing you barely had injuries from those escapades of yours."

"You knew about that?!"

"Of course, it wasn't that hard to spot those bright colored dressed Nyeath made you wear those days as you tried to stay concealed behind the leaves. Truth is that I knew you were hiding on that same mallorn tree the day you were almost killed." But before she could say anything else, he declared that they had arrived in the west bank. The horses would not be able to walk through the fields for it was filled with lilies and they might trample on them.

Arienne's breath was caught in her throat seeing the fields filled with lilies in their fully bloomed glory. Leaving behind the prince, she walked to the fields and spread down her cape. She sat down amidst the small field, inhaling the subdued scent, filling her lungs of the almost forgotten fragrance.

At that same moment, it wasn't only Arienne's breath whose breath had been caught in their throat as she savored the view. Legolas had tied the horses near the clearing away from the fields and when walked back, he saw one of the most beautiful pictures he had ever seen. His _aielen_ sitting on her green cape, her eyes closed, with her pert nose high, smelling the flowers around her. The cool breeze had lifted the dark strands of her hair away from her face, letting them flow freely. _I knew she'd grow up to be beautiful, but not this exquisite,_ he thought to himself, still in a trance. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the beautiful scene until he saw her open her eyes and look at him.

"Come, sit with me," she called out, patting the space next to her before plucking one lily near her.

And he gladly did.

* * *

**Translations:**  
_Ostaen'lote_ - Defender of Flowers  
_hin_ - child  
_aielen_ - little star

review me please? :) more reviews faster updates! hehehehe! :) thanks! :)


	6. A Little Star No More

**Disclaimer:** Legolas/OC Fic, AU. LoTR characters are not mine but Tolkien's. 

**A/N:** Fiction will not follow the canon. Some dates will be accurate, some will not be. Inconsistent. Oh...and does anyone want to be my beta reader? **plus: do you want to see how i picture the characters of my stories? their pictures can be found in the link i posted in my author's page. :)**

**Evil Duckie, Ilmatar, Iwishchan, Orlando's Hot Chick, GreenEyedElfGoddess, Simply Elena, Stacey, Elrohir, OrliGolas-4eva:** Thanks for the reviews! The reviews help me write faster! Get some more people to read Aielenamin! ;P

**remixer:** think about it this way, it's been a millennia and you've grown up...from my experience, time really does heal old wounds (ie. Legolas's words) BUT it doesn't mean that there won't be any more twists because i can assure you that there will be a lot in the coming chapters. :P and about haldir...i really owe you for bringing that hot elf into my imagination cause he's going to be part of this story _soon. _;P

**Taraa29: **Go easy on Kethaera, she's a nice girl...hehehe.

**dae:** i don't think a finger-shoving disgusting elf can do much harm to the elven race except to gross them out. lol

**IceAmethyst:** i don't know if you know already by I'm also prodigalwriter...as in the one who wrote Choices in Love (which is being reposted...). i just remembered your name from long ago...2002, when you still reviewed CIL. :) glad you found Aielenamin good too. :)

* * *

**Aielenamin**  
**Chapter 6 - A Little Star No More**

The entire afternoon was spent by the two elves reminiscing about the old days. Most of them were about Arienne's apparent ignorance that Legolas knew that she was somewhere near wherever he was. This meant for the prince that aside from doing his archery practice, patrolling the woods, attending councils with his father as well as just being alone in the library to read, he had to keep an eye on the child as well. More importantly than that, he had to make sure that _she_ didn't know that_ he knew_ that she was spying on him. It wasn't his intention to embarrass the child so he let her be without telling her that he knew. He used to see her hiding under the chairs, rustling in the trees, or behind bushes frequently.

But even now as they laughed about it, she was acutely embarrassed about her past actions, blushing very frequently after every story. Legolas found that over the millennia, the elleth had acquired a sense of shyness about her that she most definitely didn't have when she was a child. He wouldn't know that she was the same Arienne if she didn't inject some quips that usually insulted him in the middle of their conversation.

Hundreds of sparrows flew overhead the two elves as the sun started to set. It had been a lovely rekindling of memories for the two old friends though both tried to hide snippets of an emotion which was already simmering in them.

"We better get going, this isn't exactly the safest place around the kingdom," he said. Alertness was evident in his stance as she stood up from the makeshift mat of Arienne's cape.

"What's the problem with it not being safe? You're one of Mirkwood's favorite heroes, am I not correct?" she asked teasingly, as he helped her up. She laughed at the scowl that formed on his face. She watched as he gathered the cape from the ground, with his eyes still watching the farthest section of the banks with his eyes.

His blue eyes were intense, his blond hair cascading down his shoulders as he bent down, and the elleth couldn't help herself as the prince bent down, appreciating the view he was giving her. A smirk formed on her mouth, she may be older and less brazen but it doesn't mean she would enjoy herself less. And yet, even with the few hours that they spent just talking, she couldn't make herself ask why he never visited her while she was in Rivendell.

As they dismounted from their horses in front of the castle, Legolas couldn't hold it in himself so he asked why she had been so painfully quiet on their way back from the lily field. Upon mounting their horses a quarter hour ago, she had ceased her chatty and engaging conversations with the prince. When asked by him if she was alright, she would just give him a smile and a nod. But he knew something was bothering her that she didn't want to tell him. "Something displeases you Arienne?" he asked concernedly, holding her arm to stop her as she started to climb up the numerous steps leading to the entrance of the castle.

Arienne was surprised at the sudden contact of the prince that she took a step back, slightly flinching. He dropped his hand from her arm and frowned. "You used to tell me what ails you _aielenamin_, what hinders you from doing that now," he asked again, using her old pet name once again for her unknowingly.

She sighed and clutched her cape tighter to her body. "You never ever asked me why I left Eryn Lagaslen for Rivendell," she said softly, obviously not wanting to bring up the topic.

He frowned at what she said. His father told him that Arienne simply wanted to start her schooling in Rivendell instead of in Eryn Lagaslen and her father indulged on her request. Although from what he gathered from his maidservants, the young elleth had been in a state of anguish for three whole days before deciding to leave. It coincided on the day he left to go to Lothlorien. With that, he knew he had to have a hand on making her decide to leave Mirkwood. As to what the real reason was, he didn't know. No one really knew.

"I simply assumed that you really wanted to study in Rivendell," he answered, tucking a stray dark hair off her face, her eyes looking at the ground. "But I know that is not the real reason." He watched as she shook her head slowly to confirm his statement.

She lifted her eyes to him and he was taken aback to see that her eyes had was glistening with tears and yet she had a smile on her lips. "Do you remember the day you left for Lothlorien? And you didn't wake me up to say goodbye? You asked Erulien to escort me back to my room so Nyeath wouldn't know that I was not in bed. But I escaped from Erulien, I climbed the trees to follow you. And I heard you say the words to Sirefel that completely broke my heart at that time," she said, chuckling softly at the memory.

Legolas, not really that gifted with remembering memories, recalled the words and rubbed his temples. "I said that you were a nuisance, a pest that was constantly bothering me," he whispered slowly upon remembering the memory. His heart ached at what the child must had felt back then, with her adoring eyes that was solely meant for him. The picture of his little ward crying continuously for three days for the pain she felt was heartbreaking for the prince. He didn't mean for his words to be heard by her ears. Oh Elbereth, definitely not her ears. "I am sorry _aielenamin_. I didn't mean to say those words," he said, his eyes still closed at the pain it was still bringing him to know that he was the main reason, the _only_ reason she left Eryn Lagaslen.

But when the prince finally opened his eyes, he was met by Arienne suppressing a smile towards him. "You know what? I should make you feel guilty more often, you looked like you were in _real_ pain," she said, poking his chest. Her eyes carried a tinge of laughter at his bewildered face. "Believe me, while it did feel terribly painful for my young heart to take, I did realize what a big pest I really was before," she said musingly.

"But I truly am sorry, you weren't supposed to hear those words. I shouldn't have said those words," he said gravely before letting out a sigh. The guilt was sitting heavily on his shoulders at the moment.

'What I really want to know is why you never visited me in Rivendell," she asked trying to keep the anger she felt in check since it wasn't his obligation to see her at all. "Not once did you visit me. Not once did you ask if I was doing alright with my lessons or if I missed my family. That was the biggest niggling question in my mind. Why didn't the prince have time to spare for someone who held him so dear in her heart," she added with a shrug. (AN: Think Joey of Dawson's Creek when she shrugs and does the mouth lifting)

Before Legolas could tell her otherwise of her claims that he didn't visit her, Elledan called for her as he bounded down the stairs. "There you are Arienne! Father's and Lord Corellon have been looking for you the entire afternoon! Where have you been? Melithel was gone from her pen as well! You didn't tell anyone where you were going," he said exasperatedly, seemingly not noticing the prince.

"She was with me. I showed her the lily fields," Legolas answered quietly, still looking at Arienne who was avoiding his gaze.

"I should have known she was with you," Elledan said, rolling his eyes at the prince. "Kethaera has been looking for you as well. You better find her, she's been wanting to ask you about the food that will be served on your wedding," he added as he tugged Arienne's arm to follow him. He grabbed her cape and started to walk up the stairs.

Legolas watched as the pair trekked up the stairs, leaving him with a scowl on his face. He didn't want Arienne to believe that he had avoided her all those years while she was in Rivendell. _Maybe it's time I should give her back her lost trinket,_ he thought to himself.

* * *

But the prince didn't have time to tell her. Not that he didn't sought her out that evening but because she simply disappeared. At supper, she was conveniently missing from the table though Lord Corellon had asked them to excuse his daughter for the evening. It had been a good day albeit some wrinkles that he wished he could iron out with his relationship with Arienne. They had had such a good start after all!

In his room, Legolas started to take off his boots and get ready for bed when he noticed something on his table. On top of the intricately carved wooden table that served both as his desk and mini bookshelf for his favorite books, was a large black leather-bound book with a note on top of it weighed down by his ink jar. Opening the note, he saw a neatly written message in flowing script.

_Legolas-__  
Thank you for the afternoon.  
I'm sorry for the outburst that I had.  
It was uncalled for. I thought you  
might want to read about your  
adventures through the eyes of Frodo.  
__- Arienne _

Legolas sighed as he flipped through the book, marveling at the accuracy the two hobbits captured their adventures to the miniscule details. He closed the book and sat down on the chair, staring off in space for a moment before pulling out a box from the drawer next to his desk. He had an idea where she could be right that moment. It was a long shot but he'd try nonetheless.

Minutes later, the prince was striding down the east hallway along with the book as well as the box. The box was carved with ivies and flowers, inlaid with tiny pears in the middle. The latch was made of gold which gave the oak box a good touch of value. Opening the double doors of the library, he slipped in quietly. He wasn't surprised to see the furnace in the fireplace was still glowing steadily. Yet, the young elleth was nowhere to be seen. But Legolas knew better, he placed down the box on the side table and sat down on one of the large wing chairs in front of the fireplace and started to read.

It wasn't long when he could sense that someone was in the room although it wasn't moving too much, just someone turning the pages. He was guessing that like him, the other elf was simply minding _her_ own business and reading a book. Long ago, he loved it when they were just in the library because it was the place where he knew that little elf wouldn't get into too much trouble. He was already engrossed on the chapter dedicated to him when he heard muted footsteps coming his way. A smile came to his lips but he continued to read the book.

"Interesting, isn't it," Arienne said, sitting on the edge of the chair opposite to where he was.

Instead of answering, Legolas simply nodded his head.

She smiled and stood up, leaving the prince with his book. Yet he watched her on the corner of his eyes. She was barefooted as she padded her way to the French doors leading to the small balcony of the library, her hair still a bit damp from what may seem as a recent bath wearing only her long cream nightgown with a robe on top of it. With a book being carried by her right hand, she slipped out of the library and into the balcony.

Legolas didn't know what to make of her recent actions. She reeled him in and pushed him away after a while. It was confusing to say the least and it didn't suit him well. Instead of continuing to read his book, his mind wandered off once again to the thought of Arienne. He was sensing a bit of hesitation from her even though she showed that she was quite comfortable being around him after all those years. It was good that she didn't hold a grudge towards him; she truly had grown up even with her actions. It puzzled and intrigued him the way she told him off and then the next minute she was lending him a book. It was as if she was trying to make things seem quite at easebetween thembut the reality was that she was troubled and didn't know how to act like herself except the way she had been taught to how.

He had confided into Kethaetra what her sister had told him that afternoon and she wasn't surprised to know that it had somehow been related to the prince. What he found intriguing was the small smile that played on Kethaera's lips when he told her of the time he spent with Arienne in the lily field that afternoon. He had known Kethaera for a long time and if he read it correctly the way he had deciphered all her enigmatic smiled, it would mean she was quite pleased with how he was trying to relieve the old friendship he had with Arienne.

When he couldn't take it any longer, he stood up and got the box before making his way to the balcony where Arienne was. The cool breeze caressed his face after opening the doors. He found Arienne seated on one of the wooden carved benches, her back to him with her right hand tugging on a lock of hair absently. When she heard the door close, she twisted her body to smile at the newcomer but continued to read her book.

"What are you reading now?" Legolas asked, his back braced by the marble ledge behind him, the box in his tunic pocket.

She glanced his way slightly and answered, "I found this in the main shelf inside. Poetry by Galdwel."

"She who smiles winsomely cries in her heart,  
With wounds of the past still piercing like a dart.  
She longs for the warm reprieve from the night  
Fighting off the engulfing pain with all her might. Poetry derived from all the elves that died from broken hearts," Legolas said, looking straight at her as he looked for the perfect lines in the book to recite to her.

"I just finished reading that line a minute ago," she said, looking up at him for a second a smile playing on her lips. She stood up and clasped her robe tighter before settling herself next to him. She looked at the beautiful view the balcony while he had his back to it. She gazed at the talans and flets of the elves in the valley clustered together with lights from their lamps giving off a soft glow per household. "Have you seen anything so marvelous? So beautiful?" she asked with wonder at the sight before her. Through older eyes, she appreciated the beauty unlike before.

For the second time that day, Legolas saw his little elfling, his _aielenamin_ of old, and had to regain his breathing. She was not the conventional beauty, her loveliness sprang from her exuberance for the beauty around her which she made her own. "I have," he answered softly, gazing her as she watched the sight. She turned to him and shook her head, a slight blush on her cheeks at what he said. Silence enveloped the two elves as each was lost in their own thoughts unknown to them that the other was thinking of the other.

"It isn't true that I didn't visit you in Rivendell," he started quietly, looking at her profile which was still gazing lazily at the valley below. And yet she paused, wanting to hear what he was to say but she did not look at him still. "Every century, I came to Rivendell to see how you were but I didn't tell you I was there for I knew that I was somehow the cause why you decided to live there instead of in Mirkwood," he explained. "Only after the war of the ring did I stop coming to see you, because I came to know your sister more in those times."

If not for his superior hearing, Legolas would not have detected the suppressed sharp intake of breath the elleth had after he mentioned her sister.

"Arienne, look at me," he commanded firmly to the elleth who was refusing to look at him once more. She would not heed his command that he faced her, placing his palm on her cheek. He watched in amazement as she briefly pressed her cheek to him, closing her eyes for a moment. His heartbeat quickened when he watched her eyes open, her green eyes piercing his gaze. "I _never_ forgot you _aielenamin_," he said to her, handing her the box that he carried in his pocket. "I think you dropped this when I left for Lothlorien. Open it." He gathered the elleth with his arm so that she was by his side, as close as he could get her to be next to him without overstepping his boundaries.

He couldn't make her turn into the child that she was before. Back then all he wanted to do was protect her. But now, seeing how much she had grown up, the quiet gentility in her eyes and the beauty she possessed made him want more and yet he cannot. _He will not._

Arienne's heart was beating rapidly at the tender contact the prince made with her even if it was for the briefest of moments. _Heart, heed me now,_ she thought, trying to calm her heart as if she had been kissed. Yet it was not a kiss, merely his hand touching her face. _Damn him...Damn him,_ she angrily thought at how he could still be in her heart even after she had exorcised him countless of times even when she was a child.

Carefully, she opened the latch of the box. Inside was a white lily which was starting to wilt. Brown lines were starting to form on the edges, the petals slightly wrinkled as well. "How—But whe—How?" she stuttered, lightly touching the petals of the lily. "Where did you find this? I lost it that same day and never really found it even after I asked Kethaera to look for it," she said, a catch evident in her voice.

"Erulien found it and gave it to me. He saw me give it you and knew it was important to you. I knew someday I would be able to give it back to you," he answered.

She looked up to his eyes that were looking at her intently, depthless azure pools that were turning to deep indigos. The lids on his eyes were heavy and she could feel hers closing as well. He looked at her profile, lingered on her moist mouth and knew that he'd be lost if he continued this madness at that moment.

_Kethaera!_ Arienne's eyes opened wide and gasped loudly, stepping back slightly. No matter how the prince was acting or how much fire was bubbling in her, she would not do it. It simply wasn't right. "_Amin autien rath_," she murmured to the prince, her eyes wide,who still hadn't come out of his stupor.

"_Sii'_?" he asked disappointedly but quickly regained his senses, pulling himself back from her face. "_En' rant_," he followed up. He briefly hugged her and kissed her forehead. "_Esta eithel,_" he said, watching her smile at him before leaving the balcony.

_Dear Elbereth, why did you let her grow up?_ he asked the heavens with a sardonic smile on his face, hearing the doors to the library close.

* * *

_Amin autien rath - _I need to go to bed.

_Sii'_? - Now?

_En' rant -_ Of course. 

_Esta eithel - _Rest Well.


	7. Swordplay

**Disclaimer:** Legolas/OC Fic, AU. LoTR characters are not mine but Tolkien's. Fiction will not follow the canon. Some dates will be accurate, some will not be.

**A/N:** I'm sorry for the lack of updates, I have been catching up on my sleep for the past three days. Finally the play's over as well as half of my tests. I'm planning to put up 3-4 chapters this Christmas break since I have nothing better to do anyway. :) 

Navaer Lalaith - I have written up to chapter 7 when i promised i won't be using grelvish anymore that's why there's still some in chapter 6. :) i doubt it if i'll even incorporate elvish in my story since i can't find an elven dictionary like the grelvish one...eeep.  
IceAmethyst - Reinventions of Us. ;) I'll post that as well. It's weird now that I'm not getting that much reviews like before, not many people read lotr fanfiction now, i guess. i read some of your favorite stories (HP) and i'm getting addicted to LJ stories! :)  
Ilmatar - I loved the library scene as well, something about wanting something but holding back yourself. :P by the way, what does ooc mean? :)  
Elrohir - Hahahahahah. Haldir, haldir. Let's just say that he'll be an interesting addition. He'll he 'here' soon. :P  
hi-c - I think it's just your comp...I'm now in chapter 7. :)

* * *

**Aielenamin**  
**Chapter 7 - Swordplay**

Arienne sat on her bed in a daze. _What were you thinking Arienne? What are you doing?_ she thought, placing her face on her palms. It has been a long time, a millennia after, and yet she still likes the prince. The difference back then, when she was still a child, she never dreamed of kissing the prince. He was just _Prince Legolas_ whom she loved to look at. Yet now, she wanted to know what it was like to kiss the prince she adores. And if she was not mistaken, she had seen the same want in his eyes that mirrored her own.

But Ketheara, her sister. She remembered her just before she lost herself and even though she knew that it was the right thing to do, she longed for that kiss. Over the years, she had convinced herself that she no longer was infatuated with the prince. Who would have thought that a thousand years were still not enough to exorcise him from her thoughts? She was wrong, he did not change much from the same man whom she followed around as a child. The prince had acquired a maturity and quietness around him that Arienne knew would not suit well with Kethaera's personality.

And yet, she knew that she would not do anything that would hurt Kethaera. No matter how much she tells her that Legolas and she did not love each other with passion. It would mean disrespect to her sister and her father if she succumbs to her own desires. She loved her sister and besides, the infatuation that she has with the prince will probably dissipate in a short while. A kiss is not worth destroying a good relationship with Kethaera, her father and the king. Soon enough she would find her own mate who will make her fell like the prince though the one she will not have will not leave her and will last for a longer time.

She glanced on the box that she had placed near her nightstand. The lily was starting to wilt, probably started only a couple of days ago when she first saw him in the feast. It added to her heartache as a child when she realized that she had lost the gift from the prince. It wasn't very long when she finally stopped looking for it, knowing fully well that it was truly gone like the image of the good prince in her heart.

There was no use thinking about things that aren't mean to happen to her so she slid into her bed and tried to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, thanks to the twins who had mapped up her day already. She was left with the thought that her father would not fail her in finding a good husband for her, one that had love _and_ passion.

* * *

"Why can't you two idiots understand that I am inept in using this...this.._thing_?!" Arienne yelled to the twins as she slowly blocked Elledan's sword with her own. It was an hour before sunup and she was already in the field with the twins who made her promise to accompany them today last night. Of course she had the option to tell them to kiss an orc's ass but she couldn't because they threatened to tell the prince a deed that she was acutely embarrassed of. "You two are unscrupulous elves that deserved to be killed by orcs," she spew out, trying her damndest to ward of the two male elves who were inching slowly towards her.

"You're going to thank us for this Arienne, you'll see," Elohir said, yawning at his cousin's efforts.

"You seem to be out of breath cousin, are you tired already?" Elledan asked with a grin at Arienne who already had sweat on her brow. He saw her scowl before clashing her sword to his with great effort before stumbling down.

The elleth was muttering curses as she flung the sword away from her. "I quit! This is pointless! If I'm destined to be eaten raw by orcs because I do not know how to wield a sword, then that is my destiny, don't you think? This is futile!" she said exasperatedly at the two who sat down on each of her side.

"You're tired already? _Already?_ But we've only been out here for half an hour," Elledan said, nudging her shoulder. "Look at you, all sweaty and breathless. Look at _us_ all princely and still dashing," he teased, pinching the bridge of his nose pretending that Arienne stank.

"I hate you both."

"No you don't. Not yet, at least since if you don't get up in ten seconds, we're going to run around the palace yelling about what you took from the prince," Elohir said, with a twinkle in his eyes after hearing Arienne growl at him.

"Why can't you do this to Kethaera?! Why do you manage to device torturous ways to make me suffer?" she whined, wiping away the sweat from her temples.

"Kethaera can manage to kill us with her embroidery needle if she wishes it," Elledan joked, standing up. "Get up little one, we have to ready you just in case,"

"Just in case what? Just in case I manage to think that you're actually orcs who live to torture me and I then decide to slide this thing up your behinds?" she asked sweetly, waving her sword in front of his face.

Elohir scoffed at the idea, "Like you'll even manage to hold that sword correctly."

"I hate you," Arienne growled, lifting her sword but Elohir was fast enough to block her blow. They knew that when she was sufficiently riled up, she managed to lessen her errors and she actually could deliver decent blows. "You are arrogant, selfish and you need to be nicer to me! Who takes care," -clash!- "of your food in the kitchen? ME!" -clash!- "Who gives you gossip about the elleths in Rivendell?" - clash, clash!- "ME!" -clash!- "Who saves your ass when Uncle looks for you and you're cavorting with your whores?! - clash! clash!- "ME! ME! ME!" The blows continued as Elohir tried not to laugh at his cousin's tomato red face. She then turned and looked for Elledan who had a serene smile on his face.

"And you!" -clash! clash! clash!- "It would not kill you to be less impatient while I dress up, you nearly knocked down my door! It wouldn't kill you to accompany me to the village when I order my dresses!" -clash!- They parried while Arienne mouthed off her complaints to the two elves. "I am a _girl_, I am supposed to be in the palace with Kethaera embroidering or something, not fighting like a boy," she complained, her chest heaving at the effort she was making."

"The problem Arienne is that you can't sew a stitch to save your life. You almost bled to death when you pricked your finger while embroidering with Arwen," Elohir said, reminding the elleth of her past attempts.

"Don't forget that you bled into her embroidery as well," Elledan added.

"ARGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!! You two need to LOVE me more! You are making me miserable!" she screamed at the two who were laughing at her.

"Oh Arienne, did we ever tell you that you look grand when you're enraged?" Elledan teased, running away from the elleth who dropped her sword and started chasing him like an bull who has detected its target.

"Oh look! A female orc!" Elohir shouted from behind the trees, laughing madly.

"I'm going to pummel you to death Elohir, I swear!" Arienne said, dashing after the elf. Those two lived to tease and make fun of her. There hasn't been a day when they let her off. It seemed that they enjoyed making fun of her and would only stop when she was already kicking one of the twins' behinds.

"Sure, and you can beat me in swordplay," he shouted back, seeing her only a short distance from him.

"I may not be good in weapons but I sure can beat your ass you spawn of Sauron," she yelled back, running with her all her might to catch up on the madly laughing elf that looked like he ingested laughing gas. With a short burst of energy, she launched herself to the elf and started to choke him. "You're not laughing now are you?" she said with a smirk. "Say I'm the best in swordplay!" she demanded to the elf, though being choked, was still laughing.

"And I'm an orc!"

"Say it!" But before she could say anything else, Elledan tackled her from behind and tickled her. Her laughter rang out as she tried to ward of the twins from her, teaming up in the torture. "Stoooooop it!!! UNCLE!!!" she yelled at them both.

"Say that Elledan is the most handsome elf in the realm," Elledan demanded, poising her hands on her waist.

"Elledan is the most handsome elf in the realm," she said promptly, trying to suppress her laughter.

"Now say that Elohir is the best in swordplay and I eat his royal dust," Elohir said, removing her boots to tickle her feet as Elledan held her. All three knew that her feet was her most ticklish part. She started to scream and twist to get away from them to no avail. Her right boot was already off and Elohir had his hand poised on her soles. "Now dear cousin, who is the best in swordplay and who eats his royal elven dust?"

"Elohir is the best in swordplay and I eat his elven royal dust!" she screamed, trying to get away. "Please not the feet," she pleaded to the twins.

"Alright, we won't just scream out loud that you love the prince," Elledan said supremely as Arienne gave him a look of horror.

"Whaaaaaaaat??!"

"Either you scream that you love Prince Legolas or you're going to get it," Elohir said, tickling her foot a little as she squirmed.

"I love Prince Legolas," she muttered.

"SCREAM it dear cousin!"

"ELOHIR AND ELLEDAN LOOK LIKE ORC DROPPINGS!!!!" she yelled but was cut short by Elledan's hand on her mouth. She laughed at his unamused expression.

"Scream of we're going to tell everyone that you got something from the prince before," Elohir threatened.

"That's blackmail," she pointed out with a glare.

"That's FUN."

"No, I'm telling father and Lord Elrond about this _abuse_ and he's going to have both your elven asses into the latrines," she said with smirk. She didn't notice the large grin Elledan had on his face when he spied someone come over in the field.

"Yadda yadda yadda Arienne," Elledan said, pretending to be bored by her threats. "Tickle torture or you scream that you love the prince?"

"Tickle torture!"

"Tickle torture it is!" The two launched their attack at the elleth who was screaming and laughing at the same time, trying to get away. She couldn't take it anymore so she yelled, "I LOVE PRINCE LEGOLAS!!!"

"Ahem."

All three rambunctious elves froze, Arienne's eyes widened while the twin's grins got bigger. Her eyes, moved up a bit and saw a familiar pair of boots close to her face. _Oh dear Elbereth,_ she thought, her cheeks aflame. Why do things like these happen to her? Why _her_?! Her life being the drama that it was, had to make it more miserable for her. The gods must love to see her all flustered and in a position that was only destined for jesters, not a lady like her! And to make matters worse, the twins got off her and greeted the prince jovially. She, on the other hand, couldn't look up.

"I'm going to poison your drink tonight, mark my words," she hissed at the twins, kicking their shins but missing her target for they jumped away from her side. She took a deep breath and looked at the prince, his eyes full of amusement as he watched her drop down into a curtsy. "Good morning, your highness," she greeted him stiffly, trying to curb the redness her cheeks were acquiring. "For the record, I was being blackmailed and tortured into saying those words," she explained, trying to gather up her courage and strength not to pummel the twins at that moment.

"I must say that I was surprised to hear that," Legolas said to the flaming red elleth. "But seeing the two jokesters here, I knew there had to be a catch," he remarked, brushing off the dirt on her cheek and the leaf that got stuck on her hair.

"Legolas, believe us, she said that on her own, without our encouragement," Elohir said brightly. "OW!" he yelled, hopping on one foot at the hard kick he received from Arienne.

"Oh look, it's a bunny rabbit," Arienne pointed out sarcastically. "Oh wait, it's not. It's an orc doing a mating dance." And instead of helping his twin, Elledan laughed at he pained expression on Elohir's face, clutching his stomach at the scene before him.

Arienne crossed her arms at scowled. Those two always poked fun at her and made her into a joke just because she let them get away with them. They had gone way too far with their joke. She knew that they had planned for the prince to come into the field that morning, knowing them, they had planned this all out before blackmailing her into coming. It seems like the two were hell-bent on making her admit something that she wasn't going to admit ever.

"I thought there was going to a sword practice? Elledan approached me last night as asked me if I wanted to join them," Legolas said casually after observing her foul expression.

"Sword practice alright," she muttered, watching the twins knock each other out as if they were still children. "They both know I cannot wield a sword and they still managed to con me into coming this morning only to be humiliated," she added, unable to remove the irritated tone in her voice.

"So why not worth the morning, I can teach you," Legolas offered. "Seeing that those two are wrapped up in attempting to kill each other, they won't be able to do that."

The scorn on her face couldn't be masked. "Your offer is a valiant one, your highness, but I believe that I am the most inept person to hold a sword you will ever meet in your immortal life. A mortal child can hold that _thing_," she glanced disgustedly at the weapon on the ground, "better than I can."

"Oh you can't be that bad, Arienne," Legolas said, a smile playing on his lips. "Elledan asked me last night if I can attempt to teach you. He told me of your history with the weapon and I accepted the challenge."

"Did they happen to say that I am beyond hopeless and even Eru will not be able to teach me?"

A smile played on the prince lips as he nodded his affirmative reply, "Nonetheless, I would like to try."

"How valiant of you. Or should I say, 'How stupid of you'," she shaking her head.

"Oi! Both of you, how about this: Elledan and I will stop harassing you, Arienne, beloved cousin of ours, if you manage to learn how to use the sword without injuring yourself or the prince in a month's time," Elohir said with a grin, winking at Elledan.

"As long as you volunteer to be my first victim when I learn how to use the sword," she said sweetly.

"So you accept?" Elledan asked, clapping his hands in delight but was cut short by the stamp he got on his right foot.

Arienne looked at the Prince inquiringly. "I really would love to live in peace soon and if it's the only way to get them off my hair, I do hope you'll help me," she said to the prince, batting her eyelashes exaggeratedly.

"Of course, my lady," he said, bowing at her.

"Be warned courageous prince, it is hazardous to teach the lady with any weapons," Elohir warned gravely. He pulled up his sleeve and showed a fading scar, "This is my first scar delivered by none other that the lady beside you on our _first_ lesson."

"We have a combined total of 14 scars from that menace," Elledan said, glaring at the bored looking elf who decided to give them a disrespectful gesture with her finger. "You have been warned Legolas, may we still see you for supper tonight," he said, bowing with his brother before bursting into laughter as they left the pair.

"Kill them for me, will you?" Arienne asked with a sigh, walking to the log near the clearing. "They give me headaches, hives and heart attacks," she added, as he situated himself on the tree trunk, his leg bracing his frame from behind.

"I don't think Lord Elrond will favor that idea,"

"Don't be sure about that, he'll campaign _for_ it," she said wryly.

"They can't be _that_ bad," Legolas interjected, a smile playing on his lips.

"Believe me, after spending a millennia with those charlatans, they can be worse than Sauron himself," she said, rolling her eyes as she stood up, dragging her sword behind her. "You have got to teach me to use this," she muttered, her shoulders slumping a bit.

"You can't be as _horrible_ as Kethaera," he said, walking towards her, his eyes twinkling with amusement at the horrified look on her face.

"Kethaera?! Horrible?! She might not enjoy the outdoors but she parries with father without even breaking a sweat! If you call her abilities with the sword, horrible, you might as well quit now because I'm _abysmal_," she groaned, suppressing the urge to stamp her foot at her frustration as if she was still a child.

"Now stop your whining, let's see how much you know," Legolas said sternly, moving away from the tree trunk. "Show me how to hold your weapon," he commanded, his hands at his waist, looking like a real instructor.

Arienne straightened her spine and shook her head, loosening her shoulders before holding her sword, her left hand being enclosed by her right hand.

The prince had to smile at the image that she made, her expression was a mixture of determination and irritation as if she knew that the lesson would be futile for the likes of her while at the same time hoping that she would indeed finally learn something to be able to shake off her cousins' taunts and pranks. He critically examined her stance, which was good though unstable. "Shift your right foot backwards a bit," he ordered, walking towards her. "Your stance is good, shift it a bit more, there," he squatted and pushed her boot farther until he was satisfied. "As for how you handle your weapon, it is truly abysmal," he noted dryly, seeing her roll her eyes as if to say 'what's new?' "Don't grip the handle with one hand on top of the other, you will not achieve balance. Here, look." He held his own sword for her to imitate.

She shifted her right hand up the handle that made the sword tilt to a 45 degree angle. "That's better," Legolas said approvingly at his pupil. "See? You now know how to handle your sword," he said with a grin at the elleth who was scowling at him.

"Great, now I can hold my sword and glower at my enemies and they will fall dead before me," she said sarcastically at the prince before lowering her weapon.

"Will you please stop being sarcastic about this? You're not going to learn everything in one morning," the prince said irritatedly at her.

"I'm sorry for being skeptical but after more than a hundred attempts for me to learn how to use this particular weapon from forty-seven different instructors, which includes my uncle, my cousins plus Arwen, my father and sister, as well as the last nine suitors from Rivendell, with not a least bit of improvement on my part, I really can't help but feel that way," she apologized wryly to the prince who was looking at her with amusement. "It's not funny, you know," she said primly to him.

"Alright, alright," he said, raising his left hand as a sign of defeat. "Let's see how well your foot work is. I'll parry a bit with you and I'll see how well those instructors taught you," he added with a grin. He raised his sword, swinging it towards her sword slowly. She matched the sword carefully, edging her feet backwards as he came nearer. Both her hands gripped the sword, concentrating fully at making contact with the Legolas' sword as well as trying not to stumble backwards.

Legolas stopped his mock-assault before sheathing his weapon. "Maintain your stance," he ordered, bending down to see how she moved her feet. "Now move backwards as if I was still parrying with you." He watched her footwork, before barely trying to conceal his smile. Unfortunately for him, she saw the grin and scowled at him.

"I know I'm hopeless at this and I'm trying to indulge you by letting you teach me, but can you please not be obvious on how much I suck at this?" she complained.

"I wasn't saying anything!"

"I saw that smirk, you no good elf," she muttered. "Hey!"

Legolas had squatted beside her once more, adjusting her left foot. "Now move backwards but this time, let me guide you, okay?" He saw her affirmative nod before he told her to begin. He guided her left foot with his left hand, her right foot with his right hand to move back. "You're doing good, keep it up," he said encouragingly, not seeing the smile that graced the elleth's face at what he said.

It wasn't long before Arienne started to auto-pilot her footwork as her thoughts finally drifted back to the events the night before. She couldn't be more relieved to find out that there was not any uncomfortable air between them. She knew that he didn't miss the way they almost made contact with each other that was most inappropriate for both of them. At the moment, she didn't know if the prince was just indulging her on this little lesson but she was most happy that he was willing to teach her swordplay even though he knew that it was pointless. Perhaps it was to prove her cousins that _he_ could teach her and not the other instructors.

_Just plain male ego that drove him to do this,_ the elleth thought wryly. _Nothing can boost it more than being able to do something others cannot._ She knew that the prince was concentrating on moving her feet to make if used to the movement so from the corner of her eye, she spied the crown of his head, his eyes lowered at how he was going to maneuver her feet without stumbling. "Shouldn't you be with Kethaera?" she asked, glancing down at him.

He looked up for a second before answering, "She was still asleep when I asked her maid. It's still early and I know she won't be awake till breakfast." He was met by a soft 'hmmm' from the elleth which made him smile.

It was now his turn to think about the turn of events the night before. Though he couldn't really call them 'turn of events' since nothing happened. It unnerved him to see that the elleth barely looked conscious about the almost contact they made, it looked like it didn't bother her the slightest. Unlike him, who had been thinking of what last night meant. He frowned at the thought of her being unaffected for his nerves had been wracked by possibilities. _Impossible possibilities._ He knew that the way they looked at each other was mutual though she was better at masking whatever she felt now. _What if she doesn't think the way I do?_ Legolas thought, his frown deepening. _She can't think the way I do because whatever we, _I_, was feeling cannot be. Eru, what am I thinking?! I'm acting like a perverted brother-in-law towards her!_ he thought angrily at himself, a glower forming on his face.

"Glowering at my feet won't make it move better," she chided at him pointedly. He snapped his head up to her face, making him lose the coordinated movements he was making with her legs, locking his arms with her legs when she moved backwards.

Both elves stumbled to the ground, Arienne's shocked scream was muffled by the sharp thud that came when her backside connected to the ground as well as the painful groan from the prince who's head cushioned her back, his arms still trapped by her legs.

"Owwww," Arienne moaned, trying to get up since the prince's head was trapped and moving her legs to free his arms. "That wasn't part of the lesson," she remarked painfully, rubbing her back and stretching her legs.

"You don't think," Legolas muttered, cracking his head to the left.

"Your head okay?" she asked, turning to look at him suppressing a smile at the dirt-smudged look he had that came from having his face mash with the ground. She fished for her handkerchief from her pocket and folded it before rubbing the dirt from his right cheek gently.

Legolas watched her as she removed the dirt from his cheek, alternating from hard rubs to gentle ones since some dirt marks couldn't be removed. "Ow," he winced at the pressure she placed on his cheek. He jerked suddenly when her face came closer making her look at him weirdly before blowing at his cheek.

"You obtained a bruise as well as an open scratch on you cheek," she said softly, dabbing the bruise carefully, alternating it with soft, airy blows.

"How about you kiss it instead?" Legolas asked with a cheeky grin. She looked at him, shrugging a bit before giving his bruised cheek a chaste sisterly kiss. "Now how about if you kiss my behind since I practically kissed yours when you fell?" he asked jokingly. "OW!" he rubbed the back of his head which connected with her palm.

"How about if I connect my sword with your behind?" she asked sweetly, standing up, shoving her handkerchief into her pocket.

"Like hell you can," he shot back, standing up, blocking her enraged swing with his sword. "It was a joke Arienne! A joke!" he yelled laughingly as she pursued him with her sword around the field.

* * *

please review. please? :) 


	8. Off to Lothlorien

**Disclaimer :** Legolas/OC Fic, AU. LoTR characters are not mine but Tolkien's. Fiction will not follow the canon. Some dates will be accurate, some will not be.

**A/N:** I'm sorry for the lack of updates, I have been catching up on my sleep for the past three days. Finally the play's over as well as half of my tests. I'm planning to put up 3-4 chapters this Christmas break since I have nothing better to do anyway. :) 

OH! AND I HAVE A NEW FIC UP! IT'S ENTITLED **LETTERS TO YOU**, A HARRY POTTER FIC (JAMES/LILY). READ AND REVIEW THAT AS WELL! THANKS! :)

* * *

**Aielenamin**  
**Chapter 8 - Off to Lothlorien**

_Later that morning..._

"I take it that you had quite a _challenging_ time with my sister this morning?" Kethaera asked her betrothed, a hint of laughter in her voice. They were in the north gardens, spending some time together on a small mat. Legolas had his back on the trunk of the tree, while Kethaera had her head on the prince's lap; both of them reading a book.

A small smile played on the prince's lips as he remembered the morning events, "You should have been there to see how much your sister made a fool of herself, courtesy of your dear cousins." He tucked the elder Lagasfalen's hair behind her ear as he continued, "It's a mystery how Arienne didn't go crazy in all those years she spent with them."

"She wouldn't have wanted them any other way," she said softly. "Sometimes, I wish I went with her to Rivendell. I feel that she lacks feminine influence in her life only having the Lady Undomiel with her for a short time. The rest she had to endure with those two oafs as well as uncle. You do know that aside from her ineptness with any kind of weapon, she cannot sew a stitch to save her life nor play an instrument? But what she lacks for those skills, she makes up for with the beauty of her spirit," Kethaera mused, thinking of her dear sister.

"I cannot seem to imagine the 'beauty of her spirit' when she chased me around the field with her sword," Legolas pointed out, turning the page of his book. "If I remember correctly, she called me some names I dare not repeat in her ladyship's presence," he said, glancing at her with an exasperated look in his eyes. "She is incorrigible."

"But she has grown up splendidly, don't you agree?" Kethaera asked pointedly, sitting up and splaying her hand on top of his book to make him pay attention to her.

Legolas sighed before closing his book. "Definitely, no longer does she follow me around, making trouble and misbehaving like a child. Now, she prefers to ignore my presence unless she is commanded or forced to be with me. The elleth has acquired an aloofness that does not suit her as well as coolness that unless otherwise provoked will not show her real feelings," Legolas confessed, stating the facts that he had observed from the Arienne in the past few days.

"You are talking about my _sister_, Legolas," Kethaera said, her voice icing slowly, taking offense with what the prince was saying about Arienne.

"Forgive me, my love," Legolas said, kissing her lips softly. "But your sister puzzles me. It is hard to know what she is feeling and I have to measure them before saying something. Do you not agree with me that she is uncertain with her actions? Rather than act the way she wants to, she acts as if she has mastered them the way she had been taught to how; to respond to an action with a fixed action that cannot have any variations."

A small smile grazed Kethaera's lips as she contemplated her sister's actions. "She is such a mystery that she acts that way even though it is not for her shoulders to bear the responsibility of being true to her duty. There aren't even any duties for her to bear, she doesn't have to marry a noble, nor carry the family finances, even bear a child. She is but the second child of our father and yet, she bears duty and decorum like a cross. No, no," Kethaera paused, searching for the right word, "like a _shield_." 

"A shield?"

"Hmmm. I think Arienne feels that by making a duty that isn't hers her own, she doesn't have to think for herself. No, my sister isn't stupid nor dumb, far from it. Her intelligence isn't something she feels has to be wasted with trifle matters and rather than using it, she merely lets people steer her to so anything. And from the years that she has been masking what she knows, her inner strength and her wisdom, went a little bit rusty, so to speak," she explained, trying to unravel her sister to her fiancée. " You have seen how the twins make her life miserable, the way they tease her mercilessly and take advantage of her sweet and compliant nature. That is an example of her letting people use her. She can easily refuse Elohir's requests to spy on certain maidens or Elledan's demands for accompanying him to the village, but she doesn't. Her need to be superior towards them doesn't surface because aside from not wanting to waste them on those idiots, she rather just comply and do her duty as a dear cousin to them. What she doesn't understand is that someday she would need to let her true self emerge, it's a good thing she's back here in Eryn Lagaslen. She may slowly find her real self once again."

"Don't mistake that for her lack of heart, she's a good soul. Much too good for her own sake, in fact," Kethaera said, shaking her head at her sister's naiveté. She really wished sometimes that she visited Arienne more often in Rivendell, even if only to help her grow up and move on her own two feet emotionally. But she saw that she was able to handle things more lately.

Legolas gathered his betrothed next to him, letting her head rest on his shoulder. "How do you explain her anger then?" he asked, chuckling lightly at the display she made that morning, chasing him around the field, comically as it seemed.

Kethaera muffled her laughter, pressing her face on his shoulder. "_That_ is one thing that she hasn't suppressed at all. That part of her _needs_ to be curbed. Father used to joke that she has enough anger for ten people when she throws objects around when she was having one of her infamous tantrums as a child. Surely you remember those, especially when you went away for diplomatic trips," she said, poking his side.

"It would take a thousand deaths for me not to remember those," he said fondly at the small child who had to be locked up in her room to be silenced only to be found in the midst of her destroyed room, asleep. "Did you know that she thought I didn't visit her in Rivendell?"

"How can she not think that way when you refused to show yourself to her?" Kethaera asked dryly, rolling her eyes. "It wasn't as if she would claw your eyes out when she sees you in Rivendell."

"I beg to differ, especially since we have just discussed her anger issues," Legolas said laughingly before quickly sobering up. "I must admit though, she grew up since the last time I saw her." _She grew up to be a beauty,_ he added to himself silently.

Kethaera quirked her eyebrow at the implications his words held but kept the thought to herself. The pair enjoyed the comfortable silence between them, each lost to their own thoughts about the younger elleth until Kethaera remembered something. She looked up to the prince face and grinned, "There are so many things to be done before our wedding and the second feast is in a month's time. I do not think I will be able to go to Lothlorien with you to personally invite the Lady Galadriel and her people."

Legolas frowned at his betrothed face. The arrangements had been made more than three months ago that they would both personally see the Lady of the Woods to invite them to their wedding. They were to ride to Lothlorien in two day's time to be able to get there in a week without messing up the tight schedule that they have.

"Now don't frown at me, my prince," Kethaera said, sitting back up before sighing. "The seamstresses will be here tomorrow and will be fitting the gowns of the ladies and lords and I have to be there. Now, don't worry. Honestly, Legolas, do you think that I would let you go there alone? Arienne will accompany you to Lothlorien in my place," she said.

A shocked look crossed the prince face, missing the mischievous twinkle in his fiancé's eyes. "Arienne?!" So many things crossed his mind when he realized Kethaera's plan. There was no doubt in his mind that he was attracted to his soon to be sister-in-law and to be with her _with his soon to be wife's permission_ was like placing him in direct target of a band of orcs. "Bu—but why Arienne?" he sputtered, his eyebrows knitting together.

"Because you need to spend time with my sister, she's family and you've spent the least time with her," she said, shrugging. "Besides, she's friendly with the wood elves and grandmother favors her and she knows the march warden as well, she'll be an asset to your journey. Why? Is there anything wrong with taking Arienne to this trip?"

"N—no," Legolas answered, his face still frowning. "Does she know that she'll be coming with me to Lothlorien then?"

Kethaera grinned at him before sheepishly shaking his head.

_Eru,_ Legolas thought, closing his eyes.

* * *

"NO!" Arienne burst out, dropping her cutlery after hearing her sister's proposition to her in the dining table. "Absolutely not!"

"Why not?" Kethaera asked mildly, hardly taking notice of her sister's outburst. Whilst Elledan and Elohir were suppressing their laughter at the obvious reaction of their cousin, earning them a swift kick from Kethaera under the table which made Elledan promptly choke on a piece of meat he was swallowing.

"Why not? Why NOT?! You're asking me to go to Lothlorien, a week's ride from here, with _your_ fiancé! That's what's wrong!" Arienne cried out, gripping the side of her dress, her eyes flaring.

"Why are you so angry at this arrangement Arienne?" Kethaera asked gently, trying her best to calm her irrational sister. "I cannot go to Lothlorien because I have too many things to do here that needs my input before the wedding. Father and I asked you to come home to help me in any way to get this under way with less troubles," she reminded her sister.

"Why don't you ask one of the two oafs beside you to come with him?" she asked, slumping her back on the high backed chair.

"Because those two _oafs_ are not of my direct blood and it would be less respect for the Lady Galadriel if I send something less than that," she explained patiently to her sister who was resembling a bratty child at the moment.

"Ahem. For the record, we are not oafs," Elledan pointed out only to be silenced by Kethaera's look.

Arienne was staring at her food menacingly as she thought of her sister's absurd plan. She was thankful that her father and uncle took supper with the King earlier that night and missed her outburst. She did not know what her sister was cooking up for her but she had an inkling that it was no good. Granted that the plan that she was saying about the seamstress were true (she was there when the messengers arrived informing of their arrival), and that she was the _sister_ of the bride, the plan did not sit well with her.

"Look Kethaera, I know I'm here to help but can you make my tasks a bit less uncomfortable?" she asked tiredly of her sister.

The elder Lasfaelgen lifted her eyebrow at the younger elleth and said, "He will be part of the family soon enough and you have to learn how to be comfortable around him. I know you're feeling embarrassed about how you acted as a child but I can assure you that that is all in the past with the prince."

"Think of it this way Arienne, he can continue teaching you swordplay even on your journey. Time's a ticking, dear cousin," Elledan interjected with a grin.

Kethaera reached for her sister's hand across the table. "I trust you enough to take care of my betrothed—"

"How? By killing him with her sword?" Elrohir asked obnoxiously.

"That insult is getting old Elrohir," Kethaera said, glaring at him.

"As I was saying, I trust you enough to take care of Legolas. How? I do not know but you're an asset on this journey seeing that you told me once that you know the March Warden and grandmother hasn't seen you in a long while. And rest assured that I shall skin him alive if he lets harm befall on you," she said, seeing her sister's face crack at the suggestion that she'll see her grandmother.

"Does he know that I am coming with him?"

Kethaera nodded her reply, leaning back on her chair. "You'll both be leaving on the morning on the day after tomorrow. That should give you enough time to be back a week before the second feast."

Arienne sighed, seeing that there was nothing much she could do. Her sister was right of course, she just didn't want to spend time with Legolas too much for all the obvious reasons that have been clouding her mind for the past few days. In her experience, infatuations disappear quickly when she didn't see the object of her affections for even a few days and that was what she intended to do. Too bad for her that the plan was thwarted by none other than her sister.

Two days later, she was securing her pack on the side of Melithel, shoving another pack of lembas bread to the small space on the side. They were to leave an hour before dawn and yet she was already in the stables, it was two hours before dawn at that time. Just like when she was to leave for Eryn Lagaslen, she couldn't sleep much out of nervousness and uncertainty. She didn't once see the prince the day before and she couldn't decide whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Deciding to wait on the marble stairs that led to the entrance of the castle, she steered her horse silently.

"I see someone's excited," a low voice drawled behind her.

Arienne jumped at the unexpected voice, failing to sense that someone was near her. She looked behind her to see the prince in his riding clothes, bounding down the marble steps. "You really should stop doing that," she muttered.

"Doing what?" he asked innocently. "Good morning," he greeted her, pinching her nose lightly before sitting down on one of the steps near her.

"Coming out from nowhere," she answered, wrinkling her nose. She settled Melithel next to where she chose to sit down after pulling out the pack of lembas she stuffed in the pack a while ago. "You're early as well," she commented, pulling out a piece of bread before offering him one. He got one and chewed on it slowly.

"I hardly sleep before journeying, if I do sleep it would make me even tired," he explained with a shrug. "What are _you_ doing up so early? We're not to leave till later."

The elleth looked away from him, not wanting to say that she was nervous about the trip. "Couldn't sleep much," she mumbled, biting a piece of the bread to keep herself from saying more.

Legolas watched her as she adverted her eyes from him. He knew that she was telling the truth that she hadn't slept much and from the looks of it, he knew why she couldn't sleep. He frowned at the thought that she was uncomfortable around him. After the night in the balcony, she had withdrawn herself from being with him as if she knew that there was a note of danger being with him. He surveyed her from the corner of his eyes as he mindlessly bit into his food. Tiredness marred her face, dark shadows were painted underneath her eyes and her skin was pale.

"Maybe you should stay here. You lack sleep and you don't look too well," he commented, glancing her way.

"Very nice way to compliment a lady, Legolas," she said wryly. "I decided that I want to go after all. I haven't seen grandmother for quite a while and I've missed the wood elves, I stayed there for quite a few years and made some friends that I haven't talked to for a while."

"Are you sure you can handle the journey?"

"Don't underestimate me, my lord," she said mockingly, "I maybe lacking in skills with any sort of weapon but I can ride."

Legolas smiled at that, suppressing a chuckle. "I remember Kethaera telling me that you know the March Warden? That blasted man who pointed an arrow to my face the last time I was there?"

"Good on Haldir then," she said smirking. "He was one of those who tried to teach me with the sword as well as the bow, failing on both counts. He is a dear friend," she added with a soft smile, remembering the stoic and quiet warden that never failed to make her smile.

The prince eyes snapped at her with a frown, "He was one of your suitors?"

Arienne looked at him before nodding slightly, "He asked for my hand in marriage a couple of years back. I wasn't ready to get married."

For the life of him, Legolas didn't know why the sudden anger in him quickly directed to the march warden. "This was after the war of the ring?"

"Yes, he asked me after getting the blessing from grandmother. Of course she knew that I was going to say no, and yet the lady holds a soft spot of the warden and let him, "she said, smiling fondly at the memory. "I am most glad to be able to see him again."

"Are you sure you're going to be alright with the journey?" Legolas asked stiffly, standing up and brushing off the crumbs on his tunic.

The elleth frowned at his abrupt movements, looking up at his glowering face. "Of course, I have ridden to Lothlorien countless of times," she said, standing up as well. "Is something bothering you?"

"Nothing, just that the riding party isn't here yet," he answered gruffly, turning away from the elleth. "If you'll excuse me, I'll look for them." And with that, the prince left her.

Throughout the first day of their journey, Legolas remained silent to Arienne which did not bother her at the least. It was a good thing that she reacquainted herself with some of Legolas' personal bodyguards and made them her riding companions as well. She hardly noticed the prince's foul mood even when they set up camp three days later for she had such a grand time talking to Sirefel, who had a Lorien mother and knew of the Golden Woods well.

Of course Sirefel knew that his master was in a bad mood. Why, he did not really bother to know. But from the glowering looks that he had been giving the pair, it wasn't that hard to guess. What amused the body guard more was the indifference the young elleth in question was showing the prince. _So much for getting to know the family more in the trip,_ he thought wryly to himself, watching Arienne unroll her bed pack on a patch of soil that she had just weeded out of small stones. The party of seven chose a secluded area populated by clusters of beech trees that covered them well.

Legolas had taken the first watch along with another bodyguard while Arienne and Nyeath took the second one. Nearing the end of the first watch, Legolas heard the soft crunching of leaves behind him making him clench his fist tighter.

"We seem to have a falling out the past few days," Arienne said, sitting next to the rigid prince before smoothing down her tunic. She glanced at the unreadable expression on his face and shrugged. "Is there anything wrong?"

"We're nearing Lothlorien, by tomorrow we'll be at the edge of their borders," he mumbled, not minding the meaning behind her earlier comment. He scanned the trees quickly before glancing at her, not missing the delightful smile that grazed her face when he mentioned that they were near the Golden Woods already.

"And that's bothering you? Being near Lothlorien?"

"It's not the Golden Woods but the Warden that protects it. Having to be harassed by the March Warden before being let into the Woods is something that bothers me greatly," he snapped at her.

Arienne was taken aback by his answer but still tried to smile. "You need not worry about that, Haldir is a friend and I doubt it if he'd point an arrow at my direction," she said, trying to reassure the prince with a small squeeze on his arm. "Don't stress about it too much, Haldir and I go a long way back," she added, her voice fondly remembering him.

As she remembered her memories with the March Warden, she failed to notice the tightening of the prince's jaw as well as the steely look in his eyes. Legolas wanted to hit something, _anything_. And if the elleth beside him continued her chatter about the dashing March Warden of the Golden Woods, he would have to scream out in frustration. It was bad enough that he was feeling _protective_ towards the elleth when it came to suitors but it had to be the pompous elf that dared to raise his bow to his face a few years back.

"——you might as well sleep now. Nyeath will wake soon enough," Arienne said to the prince, lightly nudging his shoulders to make him stand up.

Legolas sighed and bid the elleth goodnight, passing a still sleepy Nyeath who plopped down next to Arienne. "What's eating his lordship?" Nyeath asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes to remove the tiredness she was feeling.

"Beats me. We were just talking about Haldir," she paused, frowning a bit, "I got the impression that the prince doesn't like Haldir very much," Arienne said, rolling her eyes, looking behind her to see the prince slip into his bed roll.

"Too bad for him, he'll have to like him soon enough. He's going to be part of the family. I hear your father's talking about arranging your marriage after Kethaera union," Nyeath said with an approving smile. She too had fond memories of the often misunderstood warden of Lorien. "That would be another fine match."

"Fine match, indeed," Arienne repeated softly.


	9. Going Overboard

**Disclaimer :** Legolas/OC Fic, AU. LoTR characters are not mine but Tolkien's. Fiction will not follow the canon. Some dates will be accurate, some will not be.

**A/N:** Here's Chapter9! I hope you enjoy this! Review me! Review me! Pretty please?! :) 

**tolkienfreak:** please email me at prodigalwriter at yahoo dot com or IM me at prodigalwriter. :)  
really loving your reviews you guys! thank you so much! :)

**LETTERS TO YOU**, A HARRY POTTER FIC (JAMES/LILY). READ AND REVIEW THAT AS WELL! THANKS! :)

* * *

**Aielenamin**  
**Chapter 9 - Going Overboard**

As the Mirkwood party approached the Golden Woods, Legolas already felt the prickly feeling on his neck that usually signaled to him that they were being watched. Narrowing his eyes, he reined his horse a bit to slow it down as he looked at his surroundings. It irritated him to see that while his men were doing the same thing, he could see Arienne simply had a placid smile on her lips but was betrayed by the twinkle in her eye which was partially covered by a dark hood. The elleth took a bold action and looked at him straight into the eyes as if she knew what he was thinking and was mocking him. He merely glared at her in turn making her smile grow wider.

Great heights of trees towered over the party, with sheets of golden light filtering down the moist earth. A soft gust of wind blew their way, carrying an almost indecipherable sweet tune to which Arienne closed her eyes to savor. It was nearing late afternoon and the hot rays of the sun tempered into a more pleasant warmth. In the past three days, Arienne managed to stay out of the prince's way, which was, if was to be described aptly, an _unpleasant_ one since he chose to be a despot to his men by being an autocratic dictator. It didn't help the prince's mood to know that the being causing him to act that way was indifferent about it all.

Legolas glowered at the thought but chose to push it aside, he was in a very familiar spot at the moment and had to thread carefully ; the same one he stood five years ago but with significant difference: no arrow was ready to set his blood spurting in distances. Dismounting quietly off his horse, he signaled the rest to do the same; he did take notice the suppressed eagerness of the lady when she dismounted.

"He's watching us, you do know that, don't you?" Arienne said softly as she stood next to him, a smile apparent in her voice.

"You better tell him to come down then or we'll just escort ourselves without their assistance into the woods," he said bitingly, whipping his head quickly from side to side, looking for the elf that had slighted him when he was last in Lothlorien.

"You're too paranoid for your own good Legolas," the elleth chided amusedly, shaking her head. "But I do have to warn you, don't even think of crossing the border, which is a few meters from where we stand or else—"

"Or else what?!" he muttered, not heeding the precaution as he walked farther, obviously disregarding any sign of respect for the wood land elves. A particular woodland elf to be exact. But as he neared the border, an arrow swiftly whizzed past his face and stuck smartly an inch from his nose to a tree trunk making him step back from the unprecedented warning.

"Or they shoot," Arienne answered, muffling a chuckle at the murderous expression on the elf lord's face before pulling the arrow from the tree and tossing it to the ground. "You really should learn to be patient, my lord. They're just merely inspecting our belongings to see if we brought anything threatening."

"Paranoid much, isn't he?" he asked rudely.

"I'll have you know that Haldir heard that," she said with a huff.

"Good, I was intending for him to hear that," he retorted at the glaring green eyes in front of him.

"You really need to learn some manners."

"As does he and his fellow guards,"

"You're being a pain, you know that?"

"As is he," he retorted loudly, taking advantage of his height as he glowered down at her.

"And I'll also have you know as well that Haldir doesn't take it lightly when someone threatens my being," she informed him, with her eyes narrowed. 'You better take a step back and learn your manners while you're at it."

He watched as she walked back to Melithel to get her pack and signal Nyeath to come with her. She glanced above her but as she had thought, even the March Warden would be wary of the hood-clad maiden. He wouldn't trust his ears even though he knew the voice, he had to see the face and the only way he can do that is if he came down form where he was and showed himself. But it was not the moment yet to reveal himself, Arienne knew that so she opted to be patient. Haldir could be too much sometimes, she thought fondly.

"Tell me Sirefel, does he always act like a despot all the time?" Arienne whispered to the guard next to her who was watching the prince with her.

"Not usually, unless he doesn't get what he wants and right now, I know he's boiling mad at the head games the March Warden's putting him through," Sirefel replied humorlessly.

"Are you glad that you're back in the Golden Woods?" Arienne asked the guard, giving him a side-a-way glance.

"Definitely, my lady, it's been a long time since I visited as well and from the looks of it, it would take me a while longer before I gaze upon the loveliness of my home since the prince is probably threatening the guards of my home," he said wryly, nodding at the prince's direction. The prince had his hand gripping the handle of his sword as she surveyed the trees surrounding them with a fierce look in his face.

"I don't think he understood that the more he does that, the more Haldir will piss him off," Arienne said lazily as she drew circles on the ground with a dry twig.

Sirefel chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I really don't understand what is bothering his lordship lately but I am led to think that you're the cause of it," he said carefully, lest he was stepping on boundaries.

Arienne lifted an eyebrow at the guard and rolled her eyes. "It's the fact that I am good friends with the elf he's trying to nail at the moment."

"And how good friends are you with the March Warden for it to cause this much despotism in our dear prince?" He watched as Arienne signaled him to look at the ground. Arienne scratched the letters A X H on the ground before sliding her boot over it to erase it, hoping the guard understood her meaning. He did. "Figures."

It was a good fifteen minutes later and even Arienne was getting impatient with Haldir's too-rigid inspection of their things that she slid down the tree trunk and sat down on the cool earth. She was about to close her eyes to get some well needed rest when her eyes popped open from the shouts—

"HALDIR OF LORIEN! SHOW YOURSELF! MARCH WARDEN OF THE BORDERS OF LORIEN, SHOW YOURSELF THIS INSTANT!" Legolas bellowed, brandishing his sword a the space in the middle of the camp angrily.

The elleth's eyes popped open to look for where the childish shouts came from. She watched in amusement and irritation as Sirefel dragged the prince from the middle of the camp as the wood elves could surely pierce any part of his body without much trouble since he was out in the open. The prince' antics were getting quite irksome that she opted to stay as far away from him as possible during the rest of the journey. It saved her from too much interrogation and insults from the prince directed to the March Warden. Whenever he was asked why he hated the warden, he simply answered that he had the gall to point an arrow at his neck.

"Arrogant bastard," Arienne whispered to herself, shaking her head as Legolas continued his shouts.

"I really should release an arrow to his head, don't you think?" a deep, musical drawl said behind Arienne.

Arienne looked up at the towering being behind her, her eyes widening before squealing in delight at the sight of the friend she had missed for over five decades. "Haldir! Oh I've missed you so!" she said joyously as she stood up and launched herself to the Warden's welcoming arms. A deep, rumbling laugh was released from his lips as he lifted the elleth a few inches from the ground before twirling her to her delighted screams.

The party finally noticed the 'newcomer' in the group and breathed a sigh of relief. It was about time the warden had showed up or they would have stuffed a cloth into the prince's mouth and tied him up somewhere. The merry reunion of the elleth and the march warden would seem endearing to most of the elves that saw it except for Legolas whose scowl had deepened.

"Arienne Lasfaelgen, I must say, you're a sight for sore eyes. I see you've grown up pretty well," Haldir commented, kissing both her cheeks in proper greeting. It was amusing and entertaining that a mere chit of a girl can make the usually sober and serious warden into a grinning fool.

The elleth twirled around to let the warden see her entire profile. "And you've grown all the more handsome the last time I saw you," she said flirtatiously before laughing at the flush the warden acquired. It amused the elleth to see the much revered March Warden could be flustered by a mere compliment from a lady. Arienne took on a more stern stance as she placed her arms on her waist, "You really had a grand time making us wait, didn't you?"

"Truth be told, my lady, your refusal to put down your hood to show your identity held you up," Haldir answered affectionately to the elleth who glared at that response before tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "You knew that I wouldn't have let you in unless I was sure, Arienne," he reprimanded her.

"Oh, you're right, _as usual_," she muttered. "But really, it was to piss him off," she said with a devilish grin, nodding to the prince who was giving the pair death glares.

By then, twenty-five guards had gone down from the trees to escort the party with around the same number concealed for added protection. Haldir walked to where the prince was to greet him more formally with Arienne trailing behind him happily, much to the prince heightening annoyance.

"Legolas Thranduillon, welcome to the Golden Woods once again. Your party is most welcome in the Realm of the Lady Galadriel," Haldir said formally to the prince. "I must apologize for the wait but the elleth on purposely delayed your entrance," he said before throwing a meaningful look at the elleth behind him who simply stuck out her tongue at him. "How old are you again?" he mouthed to her, rolling his eyes.

"It would have been best if you let us pass and detained her then," Legolas said scornfully, eyeing Arienne's innocent look.

"I do not think the Lady of the Woods would have liked having her granddaughter left all alone," Haldir answered, a smile twitching on his lips much to the irritation of the prince.

The Mirkwood party gathered their things and let their horses near the border to where Legolas and Haldir were exchanging words. Much to Sirefel's chagrin, it looked like the Prince was hell-bent on pushing the non-existent buttons of the March Warden.

"I must say Haldir, I am _honored_ that no arrow was pointed at my throat this time around,"

"Oh, is that what you think?" Haldir asked, glancing slightly at the prince as they walked into the Woods. Arienne let out a soft snort which earned a meaningful look from Haldir. "I was aiming for your _throat_ when you planned to cross the border,"

"Is that so? You really need to practice your aim then," Legolas growled, his knuckled turning white as it gripped his sword.

"I highly suggest, revered prince, to loosen your grip from the hilt of your sword lest one of my guards deem it too threatening in _my_ presence," Haldir said quietly, arching an eyebrow at the prince's direction.

"Really Haldir, don't frighten him to much," Arienne said jauntily, eyeing the angry glares from the prince as she walking next to Haldir. "Tell me, how has grandmother been?"

The warden let out a mock exasperated look and shook his head. "Once the Lady received word that you would be accompanying the prince three months ago, most of us have been preparing for the feast she had planned to welcome you tonight. You do know that she's been wanting for you to visit her for the longest time and yet you keep on brushing her invitations off," Haldir said disapprovingly as Arienne cringed at her actions.

But a thought passed her mind at the inconsistency of the Warden's words about _her_ accompanying the prince since _three_ months ago. Arienne's eyebrows furrowed in thought. To her knowledge, it was only recently that Kethaera had to back out from the original plans that _she_ would be the one going to Lorien with Legolas.

Before she could voice out her thoughts, they entered the large expanse of the large clearing of the realm. Arienne's voice failed her as she took in the glittery lands, the trees towering and seemingly producing a glow about the place. Her outward appearance, darker hair with green eyes, became a stark contrast to the elves of Lorien as they smiled in greeting at the entering party.

Haldir looked down at the elleth with a soft smile before offering his arm to her, "Would you like to see your grandmother now, my lady?"

Arienne grinned at him, loving the quiet familiarity they had with each other as she took his arm. "Will the Lord Celeborn be with her?"

"Of course," he led her to where the Lady was waiting before glancing back to the prince. "Your guards will be attended to by the servants, they will stay behind," he informed the sulking prince. Legolas didn't dignify an answer to what the warden said but Haldir couldn't care less about the spoiled prince who took on the form of a child a few meters behind them. "He really sulks too much for his _age_, doesn't he?" Haldir murmured amusedly to the lady beside him, lowering his lips to his ear so as not to let the prince hear them.

"You have no idea," she whispered back, her eyes twinkling in mirth.

Legolas watched the two elves talk gaily about the things they missed much to his inexplicable irritation. Maybe it was because they were treating him like he didn't exist. Kethaera wasn't kidding when she said that Arienne was friendly with the March Warden since in his eyes, it was way too friendly for comfort. It made him think the extent of their friendship and if the Warden was overstepping bounds with his future sister-in-law. He watched as he green eyes sparkled in mock-irritation at the warden who gently tugged a lock of hair in response.

What he knew though for sure was that he was going to report to the Lord Corellon the forward actions of his daughter in the presence of the March Warden. _She's not here to flirt with the Warden but to stand in for her sister's blessing from the Lady,_ he thought, narrowing his eyes as the Warden placed a small kiss on the lady's forehead before smoothening her hair carefully.

"Grandmother!" The elleth broke free from Haldir's amused grin as she ran forward to where her grandmother was. The Lady Galadriel's face broke into a smile, seeing her granddaughter after a long time. Her outstretched arms welcomed the girl into an embrace. "Oh, I missed you," Arienne said, her eyes filling with tears upon realizing the extent of how she missed the Lady.

It wasn't only her who thought of the same thing. Upon the death of Arienne and Kethaera's mother, Galadriel played a role in being mother to the two girls even though they lived in three different realms. It was no secret that the Lady favored Arienne more than the elder Lasfaelgen since the former was more like the Lady in personality. The two ladies broke free from the embrace as Arienne greeted her grandfather who clearly doted on the girl as well as a rare smile formed on his lips. 'You certainly have a lot to make up for Arienne, it's been fifty years since you last visited us," Lord Celeborn said sternly.

Arienne flushed before having the good sense of looking sheepish at the truth set before her. "Well, I'm here now aren't I?" she asked with a grin. "I came with the Prince Legolas, Kethaera's betrothed," she added, glancing slightly at the prince waiting patiently behind her.

"Ahhh, another infrequent visitor," Lord Celeborn said, studying the prince who bowed before them. "Welcome Prince Legolas to the Golden Woods, you come on better circumstances," the Lord said, remembering the last time the Prince was in Lothlorien.

"My father and my betrothed bids you and the Lady Galadriel good tidings and wishes to see you both soon," Legolas said respectfully. "I come here with the Lady Arienne, in stead of her sister, to ask for your blessing for our union."

Lady Galadriel studied the prince before an enigmatic smile grazing her lips. Her eyes met her husband, who also wore the same smile. She squeezed the younger girl's hand before nodding. "Go and take your rest, Haldir will escort you to your room and the servants will assist you to prepare for the welcoming feast tonight that has been prepared in your honor," the Lady said genially, before kissing her granddaughter's forehead.

The Lady Galadriel and the Lord Celeborn watched the departing trio with much interest. "You have seen what I have seen?" she asked softly to her husband. She felt him nod next to her. "I must say that we're going to have a _ball_ in our hands tonight," she added a smile tugging on her lips, placing her hand on her husband's own.

* * *

_The next morning..._

Arienne opened her eyes as the sunlight filtered through the curtains and shone to her tear-streaked cheeks. The elleth found out that she couldn't fully open her eyes from the swollenness and heaviness of her eyelids. Her head throbbed painfully as she tried to sit up and dodge the glaring light coming through the curtains. It troubled her that no one bothered to wake her up. Gauging from the sun's position it was already mid-morning. She stood up, her legs wobbling at the effort as she walked to her dresser. A gasp escaped her lips as she saw her reflection.

Her hair was in tangles, her cheeks blotchy and imprinted with strands of hair, her usually bright green eyes was dull and watery. Her eyes lowered to her lips as she let out a strangled cry, her fingers coming up to her lips as the events of the night before came rushing back to her memory. "Oh Eru...," she whispered, resting her face on her palms. "Oh Eru, what have I done?" she said, a sob escaping her lips.

The elleth's mind was whirling as it recalled the ghastly events. Try as she might to convince herself that it had all been a dream, the evidence of her worn-out look was enough to tell her that everything had been real and consequences had to be paid in full. How she was going to explain this to her family, she had no idea. She looked up to the mirror as a tear escaped and ran down her cheek as she tried to calm herself down. _It was a mistake. That was what it was, a **mistake**. They'd surely understand that, won't that?_ she thought madly, her head in pain as if it was being squeezed thoroughly.

And yet...why did she allow it to happen? Taking a deep breath, she gathered her thoughts and decided that enough tears had been shed and she wasn't afraid to face whatever anger came from both sides. What she would give to have the Lady Arwen with her right now, or even Elohir's or Elledan to ease her convoluted thoughts. Coming to Lorien was positively one of the most negative things she decided to agree on. Now she regrets coming; no matter, she'll just have to push this behind her.

"A bath, a bath would be good," she murmured softly, gazing at the large tub connected to a golden pipe that released water from the nearby stream. She wasn't going to show everyone what a wreck she became after last night's ordeal. Opening the pipes, she massaged her temples trying to ward of the recurring images with not much success.

Removing her nightdress, she didn't bother putting any oils into the water. All she wanted was for the aches to simply remove itself from her system. Her back ached as if she had been stoned, knowing that there were bruises already. She let her tired and weary body be engulfed by the soothing warmth of the water. A slight groan escaped her lips but came out more like a strangled cry. _No matter, I won't be the cause of any more troubles. Eru...I shouldn't have went back. If I didn't, these wouldn't have happened,_ she thought miserably.

An hour later, when the water became tepid, she toweled herself dry and put on a red day dress, one with puffed sleeves that flowed down to her wrists and had a modest neckline. She thanked the Valar for small blessings that her maids didn't bother coming in to assist her, she'd rather be alone and think on her own. Carefully, she pulled up her hair and clipped it with a secure pin to keep them away from her face. The redness and swollenness in her eyes receded though the paleness of her skin still gave off a deathly pallor. Arienne sighed wearily and stood up from he dresser before putting on a pair of matching slippers. She had to see the Lady Galadriel to apologize...and Haldir.

_Oh, Haldir,_ she thought painfully as tears tried to retch their way out of her eyes. The only thing she can do is tell him her side of the story. Determinedly, she walked to the door but was stopped by the sight of a carefully folded note slipped under her door probably when she was still taking a bath. With a wary glance, she picked up the cream colored parchment paper with the distinctive green seal. The Prince of Mirkwood's seal.

Arienne scanned the contents of the note, her anger definitively rising at each passing sentence. She balled her fists, crumbling the letter before throwing it on the floor with rage. "The gall of that bastard," she seethed, jerking the door of her room violently going out.

Ten minutes later, she had not found the object of her immense rage when she finally saw Sirefel near the stables. He merely jerked his thumb to the left while mouthing the word, 'lake'. She nodded her thanks and marched to the lake to speak her mind to the imbecile's gall to tell her things that should be told personally, not through a cowardly letter.

She spied him standing on the banks, his back to her as he threw pebbles on the surface of the water. His blond hair flowing slightly from the breeze, the same way if produced gentle ripples on the clear water. The peaceful environment betrayed the real emotions trying to erupt from the elleth's chest.

"I shouldn't have put cowardice on your part to be above your being," she said bitingly, introducing her presence to the prince. If he gave notice of her presence, it wasn't noticeable, much to the anger of the elleth.

"A note? That's all the fearless warrior of Eryn Lagaslen could afford? I'm not even worth a personal apology from the great Prince Legolas? After what you've done to me, you can only spare a _note_?! " she lashed out. "You would think that after battling orcs and the Dark Lord himself, he'd be above writing notes to _apologize_," she sneered, her eyes narrowing at him quiet state. She stood next to him and she knew he could feel the anger emanating from her being at his cowardice. A shiner was prominent on his left cheek, still swollen from the night's catastrophe.

Legolas turned to face her, a serious look on his face as his stormy blue eyes bored into her raging green ones and said, "Arienne, a note was my only alternative because I know that if I see you again, I won't be able to stop myself from kissing you."

* * *

heeeheee....cliffie? :) well, let's see...I skipped the ball but will write more about it on the next chapter. how's about clicking that button to review me? :)

oh..and please, read and review my HP fic, a james potter/lily evans ship entitled **Letters to You**. :)


	10. Ad Infinitum

**Disclaimer :** Legolas/OC Fic, AU. LoTR characters are not mine but Tolkien's. Fiction will not follow the canon. Some dates will be accurate, some will not be.

**A/N:** please read the last part of chapter nine again before reading chapter 10. trust me, it'll be better. :) and im SICK WITH THE FLU and yet I FINISHED THIS...go me! stuffy nose, blows...ugh! 

**LETTERS TO YOU**, A HARRY POTTER FIC (JAMES/LILY). READ AND REVIEW THAT AS WELL! THANKS! :)

* * *

**Aielenamin**  
**Chapter 10 - Ad Infinitum**

_Rewind to the afternoon that Legolas and Arienne arrived in the Golden Woods_

Arienne hummed softly as she climbed down her talan, the one Haldir had escorted her into an hour ago. How good it felt to be able to dress up as a female again! Not that she didn't appreciate the _freedom_ the loose tunics and leggings gave to her but that she felt more protected when wearing women's clothing. The foremost thing that she missed was the freedom her hair had now, unlike for the past days, it had to be bound to keep out of her way. The feast wasn't to start in three more hours and so she decided to explore the woods that she had long ago visited and now missed.

Golden haired elves passed by her with silent and friendly greetings dawning on their faces; _So the sun isn't the only source of warmth in this place,_ Arienne mused, her heart light at the ease she felt in the place. Pausing slightly near the edge of one clearing, she tried her best to remember how to get to the banks of the Nimrodel River. She was silently wishing for Haldir to appear and accompany her since he knew the lands better than anyone and would certainly be better company than the sulking elf she had traveled with. But alas, he was doing one last patrol around the woods before preparing himself as well for the feast.

As she slowly skimmed her leather-clad feet, the hem of her white dress swept the earth silently, her mind drifted back to the brief conversation she had with her grandmother. _They had been preparing for our arrival for the past three months and yet, I only knew of the sudden change of plans less than a week ago. Something isn't right. Maybe she mistook me for Kethaera in the letter she received,_ she thought, as she thanked the little elleth she crossed after asking for directions to the river. The thought seemed plausible but not _quite_.

The Lady Galadriel knew which sister was which even with her eyes closed and would definitely not mistake the one for the other. _Unless,_ Arienne started, a frown grazing her face as a thought formulated in her head and was obviously not liking her conclusions very much. _Unless Kethaera really didn't plan on going to Lothlorien at all and made up those plans, no, not made up, **scheduled** those plans on the day she is supposed to go and made **me** go!_ Arienne thought angrily at her sister's deviousness. "What are you up to now?" she said out loud, trying to get the pissed off feeling out of her system, without much luck.

"Nothing really, just minding my own business," said a voice without her noticing his presence.

The elleth turned her head to where the voice came from and gave out a half-smile. "Oh, it's _you_."

"Just me," he echoed, turning his back away from her and continued to watch the currents of the river from the top of one of the boulders next to the banks a few meters from where she was.

She walked to where he was and braced her back at one of the larger boulders and crossed her arms. "Seems like whenever I close my eyes, someone pops out of nowhere and answers me," she thought with a twinkle in her eye, remembering Haldir earlier that afternoon.

Legolas merely cocked an eyebrow and shrugged, "You really should stop talking to yourself out loud. You might frighten children."

"Funny, haha."

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be dressing up and being harassed by your maids?" he asked curiously. It had taken him more than half and hour to get away from his own _female_ maids who did more than just help him undress a while ago. It wouldn't surprise him to know that Arienne's own maids were _male_, just for the sick hell of it.

"Why would they harass me?" she asked puzzledly, looking up at him briefly. "They even seem to be irritated to be assigned to _me_," she added, realizing what he was implying before releasing a guffaw at his growing scowl. "Really your highness, your charm and reputation precedes you. Is there any place that the legendary prince is not known?" she asked mockingly.

"Why do you think I'm here, hiding?" he muttered wryly, rolling his eyes.

"Hmmm..."

A blanket of silence covered the two and unlike before, this pause was an awkward and longed to be filled with added conversation. In Legolas' defense, when he saw her without the overly large March Warden trailing before Arienne like a sick puppy made him lose the angst that he was feeling for the past hours. "We know why _I'm_ here so why are _you_ here? And even more surprisingly, without that overly grown puppy following you around." he observed, watching her shoot a glare at him for the comment before wrinkling her nose and suppressing a small yawn. _Looks like the lady's journey was finally taking a toll on her body._

"Haldir's doing his last patrol for the day so he can take the night off and enjoy the celebrations," she informed him primly. "As for me being here, I just wanted to be near the water. If you haven't noticed, I have a lot of that element in me."

"Really? I would think that you'd have too much of the fire element in you," he said pointedly. And before she could ask him why he thought that way, he continued, "You burst into fits of anger—"

"I do not!"

"Aielen, you rival Saruman's own when I leave Eryn Lagaslen when you were a child," he reminded her amusedly as her face flushed hotly at the memory. "Not to mention the way you _attacked_ Elledan and Elrohir—"

"They had it coming," she said smugly.

"As I was saying, if you don't have any more objections, you're anger is legendary, as well as your stubbornness—"

"As if yours isn't."

He ignored her and continued, "You don't keep your emotions a secret, that's for sure. The way you objected with Kethaera's wish for you to accompany me here in Lorien. You're also very affectionate since you wear your emotions on the sleeves of your gowns, especially to your father. And you're spirited, that's obvious. The way you swiftly and effortlessly banter with the twins.—"

"Never mind all that, I know I have an affinity with water," she interrupted, not liking the way he was able to describe her traits as if he'd known her for centuries. "I think of myself as _pliable_ in nature—you did not have to _snort_, your highness," she said irritated at him as he suppressed his laughter.

"YOU? Pliable? Definitely as pliable as this boulder for sure," he silently laughed, thanking that he was on higher ground that she was or he would definitely have to suffer a few bruises on his arm that evening.

"I'll bet your element is wood, because you're dense as hell and you don't have any intelligence in that pretty little head of yours," she muttered, annoyedly.

"The maids in my room don't seem to think that way," he said with a grin.

"Go back to your maids then, they have brains smaller than a birds' _combined_, I'll bet," she added flippantly, rolling her eyes for good effect.

"You're jealous."

"Of what?"

"You're obviously irritated because they get to touch my irresistibly muscular body and you—"

"Finish that sentence and you'll never live to see tomorrow," she said darkly, narrowing her eyes as his grin grew wider as he opened his mouth to continue. "I'll bet my father will be disappointed if you aren't able to have my sister conceive a child because you opened that fat elven mouth of yours," she said, daring him to say the next words. She didn't think so as he winced at the thought.

"And you're denying that you're element is fire," he mumbled, his face still semi-contorted from the images she gave him. The smirk on her face spoke volumes. "What time do you reckon I should pass by your room to get you for the feast?" he asked after a while.

"Would you mind very much if Haldir—"

He shot her a warning look and shook his head. "You ought to know better than that Arienne. I am escorting you to the ball as it is required since you are representing your sister," he reminded her as she sighed.

"Oh well, can't say I didn't try. It's just that—"

"You haven't seen him for a long time and you want to spend time with him," he finished. "You'll have time after the ball," he added harshly before curbing it, irritated that he had to let that side come out of him when he had been doing so well in being calm.

Arienne shrugged, choosing to ignore his abrupt tone since she was quite getting used to his mood swings lately. "Well, I really should go now. To dress up and all those preparations..." she trailed, scuffing her boot softly before standing up straight.

Legolas nodded tautly in response. "I'll come by your room quarter of an hour before the ball starts," he said quietly.

"Alright," she answered before turning her back and walking away. A few steps later, she stopped and turned around, "Your highness—"

"Legolas," he said exasperatedly as he looked at her pointedly.

"Legolas. Do you know anything about Kethaera sending a note to grandmother three months ago that _I_ will be the one accompanying you here?" she asked, really wanting an answer to that niggling question in her mind.

The prince merely shrugged his shoulders in response. "I only knew that you were coming in her stead the same day you did. The Lady must have confused her words this afternoon," he said brusquely, not looking at her, missing her frown.

"Oh. Alright, just thinking. I'll see you later," she said, walking back into the forest. The explanations seemed right. They fit with everything, despite the gut feeling that she had that this was no mere coincidence that she was in Lorien. She made up her mind to ask her grandmother about that letter, it would calm all the questions she had.

* * *

The night was perfect for the feast; the moon's light waning and yet giving off a glow that heightened the importance of the event. Lords and ladies gathered in the large clearing that was to be the site of the feast dressed in glittering robes. Talans and flets were lighted with hundreds of candles above the clearing with soft music wafting in the air.

Legolas looked around the place and greeted some lords that had passed him by as he walked to Arienne's flet. He glanced up and smiled at the soft shadows that played on the curtains as the elleth prepared herself, it was ten minutes before the feast started and as the guests of honor, they had to be punctual. Climbing up nimbly on the steps, he knocked on the door softly after smoothening his hair one last time. Not that he needed to.

"Come in," said a voice inside as the door swung open but he wasn't greeted by a lovely sight as he had expected. A flurry of white cloth moving about was all he could first see. If not for her dark hair, he wouldn't have spotted her. "Arienne, why aren't you ready yet?" he asked sternly as she paused and looked at him quizzically. She was dressed in her ceremonial cream colored dress with champagne accents in the bodice and train. Everything seemed to be in order except that her hair was flying everywhere.

"I know...I know!" she muttered, turning over the pillows on her bed, as if looking for something. "I can't find my brush!"

"Where are your maids?" he asked, coming towards her flailing form. "Calm down little one, sit down," he ordered, pushing her gently to one of the intricately carved stools next to her bed.

"I had my _maids_ dismissed, if you have to know," she answered, pursuing her lips at the thought of the elleths that were assigned to her. "They wouldn't cease chattering about the _dashing and handsome_ prince visiting and I was ready to vomit already," she added scornfully, making a face.

"So you had them dismissed from your room," he asked amusedly, pulling out a brush under her pack that she carelessly threw on the side of the room a while ago. "Face the mirror," he said, weaving his hands through her hair. "You really shouldn't have done that," he said disapprovingly.

"Believe me, Legolas, I had no intentions to until they started talking on how they would...ahem...please you in bed later," she said, rolling her eyes at the thought. "Fine, go laugh. Don't come screaming for my help when they sneak into your room later," she added snidely. "Owww, careful!"

"Sorry." He pulled back her hair and twisted it on the ends, pulling the brush through the thick mass. "Tell me, were they beautiful?" he asked, his eyes twinkling at her growing annoyance.

"Must I remind you that before you can even hurt my sister with the dastardly deeds you are already planning, I would have my nails," she fiddled her fingers in front of his face which had long, tapered nails, "crush your balls first. Glad I can still make you wince," she said with a grin at his contorted face.

"I do not think I deserve such a violent sister-in-law," he said mournfully, reaching for a jeweled hairpin on the table to secure her hair up.

"You do not deserve anyone _less_," she snapped. "Tell me, do you and your guards plait each other's hair when you have nothing to do?" she asked with a grin as he rolled his eyes.

"I actually forgot how nice your hair feels when I fix it," he said, a smile playing on his lips. "Though I must say, I can do more than just plaiting your hair now."

Arienne studied the half-way done hair with a look of approval. "I knew it was a good decision to dismiss my maids," she said, satisfied at the coming outcome.

Once again, a silence overcame them as she let him continue twisting her hair and putting it up. A wrong tug of her hair sent the entire updo down as curses flowed out of his mouth. Arienne suppressed a smile on her face as she studied him on the mirror as he concentrated on pulling her hair up. Minutes later, half of her hair was flowing in waves down her back while the other half was set on her head in beautiful curls. She stood up and turned around to see the back, twisting her head to see better.

"I must say, you exceeded my expectations," she said, shaking her head.

"I exceeded _my_ own expectations," he said, studying her hair from behind. "Here, I brought you something." He drew out a white lily from his pocket, a little crushed on one side from the manhandling it got. She obediently turned and faced him as he twined the flower on top of her pointy ear.

For some reason, he couldn't secure it tightly for he could see her eyes studying him from the side. Legolas felt her soft breath being exhaled from her lips at the side of his neck. It seemed innocent for the lady as she stood still, thought for the prince, the pointy ear so close to his face was yearning to be touched.

"What's wrong? You're frowning," she stated softly, looking up at him intently as he continued to twine the flower. She watched as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, the smooth skin so near the tip of her nose.

"I—I...hmmm." He let his fingers brush the curve of her ear for the briefest of moments. The intake of her breath was almost indecipherable. "I'm sorry," he apologized quickly, not knowing that the breath from his words tingled the elleth's senses.

It took the elleth a lot of strength not to pull away and jump back from the intimate contact that they shared. Her ears were still tingling for the accidental touch, her face flushing at the brief jolt that she felt. Finally, the moment was interrupted when someone knocked on the door and told them that the feast was about to start and the Lady Galadriel was looking for them.

"Oh. We—we better go," she muttered softly, patting her hair as a small smile grazed her face. "Does it look okay?"

Legolas nodded, glancing at her quickly, having the urge to get out of the confining space that was closing on on him.

"Thank you for the _rescue_," she said awkwardly, tugging at her gown.

"Anytime," he replied, pulling the door open to let her pass first.

The clearing was lighted by hundred and hundred of candles, making the ceremonial and dress robes of the elven lords and ladies project an ethereal glow. Tinkling laughter and subdued conversations were a stark contrast to the loud and boisterous feast in Eryn Lagaslen for the prince and Kethaera's first engagement party a couple of weeks ago. The abundance of food was evident but unlike the last feast they had, this one was subdued in terms that Elrohir and Elledan weren't there to gorge themselves with the food in front of every guest.

The prince blended well in the surroundings, his physical colorings matching the Lorien elves own as his tunic, made of silver threads glittered along with the lords. He offered his arm to her as they went down to the clearing, bowing and greeting those they passed.

"Kethaera would have loved to be here," she mouthed softly to him as they passed the Lady Galadriel's chief counsel. "She would have known that the celebration would be like this. It is simply puzzling why she would pass up on a time like this," she added, gripping the prince's sleeve tightly as her mind whizzed with pieces that she tried to fit. "It's in the tip of my tongue and yet I can't fully grasp it."

Legolas looked down at her and shook his head exasperatedly, "Kethaera, whatever her plans may be, are her own to understand."

"But-"

"Aielen, I learned from long ago not to read too much in what Kethaera is doing, sometimes her plans can have really shallow reasons," he interrupted carefully to the elleth.

She didn't buy it, merely raising her eyebrow at him. "For someone so old, you can be really naive. I _know_ she's up to no good." The elleth continued her mutterings while the prince chose to ignore her.

Soon enough, the Lady Galadriel welcomed the guests and introduced the two elves from Eryn Lagaslen for whom the feast was being held for. Food and wine flowed from decorated tables, servants offering more to the dancing elves. Music filtered through the place with no sign of musicians as if the swaying of the trees produced such a clear and soothing music.

"May I say something, my Lord?" Arienne asked as they were dancing what seemed like the tenth waltz of the evening and her millionth dance.

"With or without my permission, you're going to say it anyway so you might as well say it," he said humorlessly, looking down at her piercing green eyes that were studying him intently. "Though I must say, whatever you're going to say isn't anything of the trifle sort, am I correct?"

Nodding, she bent her head, quickly formulating the words in her head when she felt his head bend down on the crook of her neck, stifling a chuckle. "This is something new," he whispered, tickling her exposed shoulder with the movement of his lips. He watched as she arched an eyebrow at the statement, "You're actually piecing out the words to say to me instead of simply blurting them out."

"If you must know, the Lady Undomiel stressed out that I must learn the ways of a proper lady," she retorted scornfully at his gaze. "But if you must have it, fine. Here it goes, do you love my sister?"

Legolas' head shot up from her shoulder, his gaze boring at her own as a frown came quickly to his forehead. "I don't think I prefer the blunt version of the question," he said sardonically to her after studying her serious gaze. She shrugged as if he asked for her to say it that way.

Moments passed without him answering the question and it was making the elleth troubled. "It's not a very hard question for you to think about," she muttered.

The prince let out an odd, strangled chuckle that came out like a bark. He shook his head at the innocence of it all. Arienne's inquisitive green eyes waiting for an answer that up to that moment he couldn't formulate a concrete reply to. Kethaera, _his betrothed_, was in Eryn Lagaslen tending to matters that were trivial as compared to the audience of the Lady Galadriel and yet sent her sister in her stead. And yet he cannot deny that he was pleased to have Arienne, his betrothed's _sister_ in his arms at the moment as they danced.

He watched as not a few male eyes followed the back of the dark haired elleth in his arms. It wasn't surprising for her to stand out. Being the guest of honor for which the party was being held, she was the only elf in the gathering that had dark hair. And it caught many elves' interested attention.

"You know, if your arm gets any tighter around my waist, it would be inappropriate," she said lightly to him.

"Huh?"

"Your arm. Personal space? I don't have much right now," she explained wryly, looking down at the tiny space that separated their bodies.

"Oh."

"How eloquent."

"Hmmmm."

"So?"

"What?"

"Your answer?"

"On what?"

"Kethaera?"

"Kethaera what?"

"Eru, you are such a child."

"_You_ are a child."

"I am not. Answer the question."

"Why does it interest you so much?"

"Because she is my sister."

_Good point._

"So?" Arienne asked impatiently at the taller elf that was looking lazily down at her.

"I love her."

The elleth blinked.

"Satisfied?"

"You love her?"

"Yes."

"Hmmmm."

The prince watched as her eyes flitted to different directions but to his face which amused and puzzled him at the same time greatly. Albeit he was surprised at the blunt question directed at him, he didn't expect her to unintentionally flash an emotion on her eyes that he didn't miss. It was intriguing to see _uncertainty_ in her eyes when he declared his love for Kethaera. Yet, he could be mistaken. Something else was there. _Disappointment? Did I see that correctly?_ he thought.

"Why do you ask? Do you still have an insane little infatuation on me little one?" he asked jokingly as he watched eyes turn into slits.

"I'd rather have an orc as a husband."

"Denial's a bitch, isn't it?"

"I'll choose to ignore that."

"So why do you ask anyway?"

"Things aren't _that_ simple in that little brain of yours, my dear," he teased. "Out with it."

Legolas watched her as she scanned the room with her eyes before stopping a fraction behind his head. Her smile was small and yet her eyes spoke a thousand words of tenderness and fondness to the image he still had to see. It seemed that the person who made her smile as she had acknowledged her as well for her smile twitched to a suppressed smile that was matched by a twinkle in her eyes. Suddenly, Legolas twirled the elleth and moved to the side so he could see who it was. With narrowed eyes, he twirled the elleth back to their original position.

"You really need to learn some manners," she gritted out of her lips, still unbalanced from the unpreceeded twirl he did to her. "You could have simply asked who it was."

"And spare the rude, domineering and emotionless oaf a death glare? I should think not," he snapped, rolling his eyes.

Arienne sighed and shook her head as the last notes of the tinkling waltz started to fade. "Well, that rude, domineering and emotionless oaf will soon be your _brother-in-law_. So you might as well begin to act civil around him," she snapped back.

It took a few seconds for Legolas to fully understand what she just said and by then she was already out of his arms and walking away. He followed her to the food table, a glower evident in his eyes. "What do you mean by he's going to be _my_ brother-in-law?"

"Just as you understand it Legolas," she answered, bringing a goblet of wine to her lips, adverting her eyes from his. "It wouldn't take an idiot to know what that means," she said sarcastically.

"But—but that's _Haldir_!" he sputtered with a voice only above a whisper.

"Yes, it's Haldir."

"And you're going to be betrothed to _him_?" he balked at the idea of his little Arienne married to the emotionless March Warden. Surely Lord Corellon would have better judgment than that!

"Thank Eru it's Haldir and not _you,_" she snapped, glaring at him.

"You'd kill for it to be _me_," he blurted out angrily.

Her eyes widen at the words before shaking her head. "You really need to get out of my sight right now."

"I'm sorry—"

"That's not good enough. Of all the insensitive things you can say, you just had to say what can go straight and hit me the hardest," she said, her voice obviously controlled.

'I didn't mean for it to sound that way!"

"Oh really? I'd say it sounded like an arrogant bastard who thinks that every single elleth in this world owes him their skirts. It's actually taking a lot out of me not to hit you since my grandmother is watching us right now and Haldir will not doubt want to punch in your face for whatever you said to me," she said, gritting her teeth as she forced a smile to graze her face.

Legolas glanced around him and saw that the March Warden, dressed in robes that were as equally fine as what he was wearing, and the Lady Galadriel were indeed watching the two _talk_. Both, of course, knew there was much to it more than just talking. Haldir strode to where Arienne and Legolas were with a placid smile on his face, not betraying what he was truly feeling.

"Do honor me with a dance, Lady Arienne," he said, bowing lightly before the elleth who's heightened cheeks could be mistaken for the attention given to her by the tall, broad-shouldered warden.

Without a backward glance at the shocked prince, she placed her hand onto Haldir's and was led into the dance floor. Moments later, she felt his amused gaze at her before looking at him wryly. "I'm sorry, you know I usually don't dance _this bad_," she said lightly. She watched as his deep gray eyes studied her.

"I don't think that the Lady is aware that there is anything _bad_ about herself," he said softly, pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "He isn't worth your anger Arienne."

"I know. I just wished he had more respect for you," she said tiredly.

"He's a brat."

"He called you rude and emotionless," she said sourly. "He better take a good look at himself first."

"I think he's doing that now."

A moment of silence passed between them comfortably. "He arrogantly implied that I would rather have him than you," she said softly, a look of inexplicable guilt passing on her face.

Haldir frowned at the action. "Would you rather have him than me?"

"I would rather kiss an orc than have him," she said, making a face before resting her head on his chest. "You smell nice," she added, sniffing him. "Like sandalwood."

A small rumble of laughter came from his chest, reverberating to her as she chuckled as well. "You smell nice too, my lady. And particularly lovely tonight, if I may say," he said to the shorter elf.

"I cannot look anything less since I knew I would be dancing with the dashing March Warden tonight," she bantered, winking at him as their laughter entwined at her words.

"I must say, if the prince's looks could kill—"

Arienne sighed deeply. "He looks at me as if—"

"He wants to possess you?" Haldir asked, arching his aristocratic eyebrow down at her.

She merely shrugged to reply. "He looks at me as if he isn't engaged to be married to my sister," she started, looking up at him. As she expected, his eyes were inquisitive and letting her to continue whatever she was going to say. "It's funny that now he acts that way, the way I would have probably wanted him to act if I still was madly infatuated like before, I'm not interested anymore. Don't arch your eyebrow at me Haldir," she said warningly. "I'm serious."

"And so am I, princess. I know that look that he's giving you. In fact, a lot of other elves are giving you," he said amusedly at her concerned face. "If I wasn't the captain, I definitely wouldn't live to see tomorrow," he added dryly.

"Well, he's not supposed to be giving me those furtive glances," she said uncomfortably.

"You grew up beautifully as a lady and it's too bad that the prince didn't see you when you were growing up. _I_ had that privilege," he said with a grin, kissing the tip of her nose lightly. "That move might have just cracked the legendary cool facade of the prince of Mirkwood," he said, barely sparing a glance at the prince's direction. The dance ended and he led her back near the Lady Galadriel, far enough from the prince. "Tell me princess, are you absolutely sure you do not see the prince that way?" he asked, a serious expression on his well, serious face.

"If he so much looks at me in a way that is not befitting for someone who is getting married to _my_ sister, he'd better protect his nether regions from my knee," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Glad to hear that then. I'll just talk to the Lord Celeborn of some orc sightings near the South border—"

"Now?" Arienne asked disappointedly.

"Well, I don't see a sulking prince anywhere at the moment so I'd say you're pretty safe for the few minutes that I'll be gone," he said, kissing her forehead. "Smile for me then?" He watched as she lifted the corner of her lips to smile. "I'd kiss you but your grandmother's eyes haven't left you for the past hour," he said amusedly as her lips twitched in laughter once more. "I'll see you in a while," he said in parting, kissing her hand instead before leaving to look for the Lord Celeborn.

As soon as the March Warden left Arienne side, she was besieged by other male elves who wished to dance with her but she quickly avoided them by dodging behind the Lady Galadriel who simply looked at her mock-disapprovingly. "I'll be back in a while," she mouthed to her grandmother before disappearing into the forest.

_Whew, that was pretty close,_ she thought to herself. _Kethaera owes me so much for this,_ she added irritatedly, bunching up her dress to her knees so she could walk more freely down to the banks to clear her head for a few minutes before her grandmother demanded her presence in the feast once more.

How could she coherently phrase what she felt about the situation? Haldir was not joking that the prince seemed to always have an odd look in his eyes whenever she was around. She dismissed it more often now that they were in Lorien just so she wouldn't have to think about what those looks meant. It confused her even more since he had just declared that he loved her sister! If he loved Kethaera, then why in Valar's name was he acting that way? If the position she was in right now wasn't serious, she would have chuckled at the reverse of their roles now.

It was clear as daylight that the prince didn't simply look at her like his little star, his little sister. A part of her felt ashamed at what seemed like an infidelity she was making him commit. She wasn't naive to know that he wasn't pure enough to not notice other elleths and yet that other elleth had to be _her_! And yet, a part of her couldn't help it. It was Kethaera who thrust them into that situation where feelings had to be dealt with. No. No. Not _feelings._ Feelings weren't involved unless they were of anger or irritation. It simply was about _attraction._

But Haldir was attractive as well. As attractive as the prince, in fact. And yet, how could the prince ignite such fire with a simple touch while with Haldir, a dance, a few kisses, induced none but _affection_? Arienne inwardly snorted at the thought that if the two elegant elves would come to blows, the fine prince would end up as pulp. There was no doubt about it. But for what the prince lacked in brute strength, he made up with his agility and litheness.

"There's really no use comparing," she said out loud, scuffing the earth beneath her satin slippers.

"What did I tell you about talking to yourself?" a slurred voice spoke suddenly.

Arienne whipped her head to the direction of the sound, for what seemed like the millionth time in her life. She saw a shadowed figure leaning on one of the tree trunks. "What did I tell you about stalking me?" she snapped turning her heels around and walking back to the feast, not wanting to talk to that particular elf when after only a few steps, she felt his hand clamp down on her upper arm, pulling her around. "You're drunk!" she stated angrily, smelling the fire whiskey on his lips. "Let go! Wha—"

Before she could say anything else, Legolas' mouth quickly lowered to the elleth's surprised ones. His lips didn't make room for her to adjust to the bruising kiss as he delved into her mouth assultingly; thrusting and withdrawing without the shocked elleth's permission. His other hand, straining her struggling form as the other cupped the back of her head. A hungry groan escaping his lips as a strangled cry came out of hers in fright. With his mind hazed with alcohol, all he felt was the soft and full lips of his little star...and yet they were too _unyielding_.

Lifting his lips from hers, with his glazed eyes, he found a stricken look on her face. "Aielen," he said softly and as if gravity was pulling him to an unknown force found in her lips, he lowered them again as she tried to push him away from her.

"No, please! Legolas!" she screamed, muffled by his lips covering her mouth. His grip tightened more at her struggle as she pushed him away from her. "No...no, Eru! Please, stop! This is wrong.." Arienne gasped as she felt her back connect to something hard and rough. She needed to get away from him, she _must_ get away from him! Tears raced down from her eyes at her helplessness. Why wouldn't he stop?

"How can something so sweet be so wrong? Kiss me back little one," he demanded, his lips barely a millimeter from her mouth.

Shock prevented her from moving at all and he took this as compliance until when she thought she would vomit from the sickness of the situation, the heavy weight that crushed her was lifted away. Her legs gave way, her back skimming down the trunk as she shuddered with tears. All she heard next was a fist connecting with bone and angry cries.

Wincing at the swimming figures in front of her, she saw an enraged March Warden standing over a seemingly unconscious Legolas. Hearing her gasp gulps of breath, he turned towards her with anger and concern. "It's alright princess, it's alright," he said soothingly, keeping control his strangled anger in his throat as Arienne limply let herself be taken into the arms of the Warden. "He's not going to hurt you now."

_He has hurt me indefinitely,_ she thought brokenly, letting the trauma flow out of her eyes.

* * *

okay...that was a little dark. no, it wasn't rape. it was assault, however. that, my friends, is what alcohol can do to you. yes, elves have a high tolerance so let's just say he drank a friggin lot to make him that inebriated. so how's about clicking that button to review me and tell me how much i suck for mangling the holier-than-thou image of our dear prince? :) by the way, this chapter is 6000 words long, so how's bout you make your reviews extra long as well? :)

so up next chapter would be legolas and arienne in audience with lady galadriel before being sent home to eryn lagaslen.

oh..and please, read and review my HP fic, a james potter/lily evans ship entitled **Letters to You**. :)


	11. Redemption by Blood

**Disclaimer :** Legolas/OC Fic, AU. LoTR characters are not mine but Tolkien's. Fiction will not follow the canon. Some dates will be accurate, some will not be.

**A/N:** Finally! Chapter 11! I'm really sorry for the long delay...from school work to org stuff and personal problems...yeah, I had o drop the story for a while. Anyway, here's Chapter 11! Review:)

**R-CHAPTER! THIS IS WILL BE A BRUTAL CHAPTER. BY BRUTAL, I MEAN BLOOD BRUTAL. if you are disturbed by scenes like than, simply scroll down.**

**TEACHING THE MALFOYS**, A HARRY POTTER FIC (DRACO/GINNY). READ AND REVIEW THAT AS WELL! THANKS:)

* * *

**Aielenamin**  
**Chapter 11 - Redemption by Blood**

_"I shouldn't have put cowardice on your part to be above your being," she said bitingly, introducing her presence to the prince. If he gave notice of her presence, it wasn't noticeable, much to the anger of the elleth._

"A note? That's all the fearless warrior of Eryn Lagaslen could afford? I'm not even worth a personal apology from the great Prince Legolas? After what you've done to me, you can only spare a note! " she lashed out. "You would think that after battling orcs and the Dark Lord himself, he'd be above writing notes to apologize," she sneered, her eyes narrowing at him quiet state. She stood next to him and she knew he could feel the anger emanating from her being at his cowardice. A shiner was prominent on his left cheek, still swollen from the night's catastrophe.

Legolas turned to face her, a serious look on his face as his stormy blue eyes bored into her raging green ones and said, "Arienne, a note was my only alternative because I know that if I see you again, I won't be able to stop myself from kissing you."

Arienne stared at him with hard eyes; her fists clenching and unclenching at her sides. "You did _more_ than just 'kiss' me, you _assaulted and harassed_ me while you were fucking drunk," she raged, controlling the urge to connect her fist or knee to any part of his body. Legolas' jaw ticked, turning his head away from her gaze. "Still nothing to say, _revered prince of Mirkwood_?" she asked, trying not to spit at his face. This elf standing less than three meters from her was not the kind protector she once adored.

"What do you want me to say, Arienne?" he asked, glancing at her for a second before turning away once more. "A note would not placate you, I don't think my words would do any effect to ease what you are feeling. I was drunk-"

Legolas stopped speaking when he heard her mockingly clap her hands slowly at what he said, walking nearer to where he was.

"And that is your _grand excuse_. You were DRUNK," she sarcastically finished for him. "You're right. No note, no words will make me forgive you for not only did you nearly RAPE ME BUT YOU ALSO BETRAYED MY SISTER!" she screamed hysterically. Legolas flinched at the truth of what she was saying. He could walk away from this but he couldn't. He knew he deserved whatever barb-cloaked words she threw his way.

"It's taking so much out of me not to hit you but then again, I do not want anything of me to touch you," she said disgustedly. "So much for the high and mighty and _kind_ prince of Mirkwood. People might as well call you a rapist," she spat.

Legolas winced at her words, the truth behind them slicing his soul. In truth, he would kill himself to relieve her from the abhorrent acts he did to her the night before. And she was right, he wasn't fit to be near anyone with the crime he committed.

"I looked up to you, did you know that?" she asked with a softer tone of voice laced with ice. "I told myself, my sister would be in the best hands, she _will_ be happy because you chose her. Your subjects laud your actions because of your kindness and just decisions," she paused, crossing her arms across her chest, staring at an unknown object far ahead. "What will they say of you now?"

"That is for them to judge," he said.

"And you think that they will take it kindly that you lost your legendary cool by forcing yourself on me? You fiancée's _sister_? Or have you forgotten that fact when you shoved my back against that tree?" she asked venomously.

"I am not going to fight you Arienne," he mumbled tiredly.

Few deafening seconds passed before Arienne's eyes hardened as a vital question came to mind. "Why-why..." the elleth breathed out laboriously as she waited for an answer. She had gotten past the stage of crying last night, as Haldir brought her up to her room, ordering ten armed guards to guard the place. He had tried to calm her hysterical sobs, convincing her that none of it was her fault. As it turns out, the warden was good with convincing her, turning her confusion and trauma around and channeling her anger at the prince.

"Why?" Legolas repeated her question with a tinge of incredulity in his voice. He shook his head and for the first time, a humorless smile grazed his face. "You can answer that question yourself Arienne," he said.

"Being drunk isn't the answer I'm taking. I know better than that, it would be best if you don't underestimate me," she warned.

"Fool is the person who does that," he said mockingly. "Are you sure you do not know Lady Arienne?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"If I could, I wouldn't be asking, now would I?" she said, glaring at him. She paused for a moment before continuing, "You would think that poor, helpless Arienne wouldn't have had confronted you here. In fact, I am surprising myself as well, come to think of it. Anger is fueling my confidence and believe me, I have more anger than Mount Mordor can hold in my body right now," she said, her glare hardening even more.

"Guilt is already eating me and if wish to add to that, it is welcome."

"I assure you, you have yet to know the extent of that guilt. If you think I'm going to retreat back into my shell because of what you did, you're wrong. Retreating once from what you did before was enough. Haldir has undoubtedly told my grandmother about this and mark my words Legolas, Most Revered Prince of Eryn Lagaslen, that you will regret that you ever got drunk last night. There are dozens of consequences you will have to face for this," she said, a contemptuous edge on her voice.

"And I will face them," he answered quietly.

Arienne's words proved to be true as Legolas heard a loud knocking on his door after lunch. He dared not show himself to anyone after last night. No doubt, word would have spread quickly around the kingdom and they would not take kindly to the fact that an elf from another realm, a prince or not, had dared hurt one of their own _under_ the influence of liquor.

He had not slept nor eaten since last night's feast, and even then, the only thing that interested him was the liquor. His normally cerulean eyes were bloodshot, tinged by grayish tones, his skin unhealthy in color, as if his internal feelings were manifesting on his physical appearance. Never had he been that inebriated by liquor and yet, last night, too many conflicting emotions passed through his head that it seemed as if the fiery liquid was the only thing that would ease the confusion.

He did not expect her to walk like a lost lamb in the midst of the forest, looking so beautiful in her finery even with her face contorting with her own thoughts. It was easy to blame his actions on the liquor and yet, what had pushed him to drink liquor in the first place?

Guilt was eating him up not only for what he had done to the elleth whom he had sworn to protect from the time he had known her but also for the repercussions that this would mean to his betrothal to one of the kindest beings in the land, Arienne's sister. His father will not shield him for his actions, this was a burden he would need to take care of himself. The elleths' father will definitely not look kindly, who was he kidding? The man will take up his sword and hack him into pieces, not mattering if he was the King's son.

What he did to the elleth gnawed all over his skin. He wanted to blame her for coming back to Eryn Lagaslen looking so much different from the elleth he left. He wanted to blame her for growing up. He wanted to blame her for being Kethaera's sister. He wanted to blame every possible spirit that had conspired for him to be attracted to her and act like a damned fool whenever she was around him. He wanted to blame himself for losing control. He _lost_ control whenever she was there, and last night was the climax of it all. Knowing from her that she was betrothed to Haldir.

And of course, there was the matter of the March Warden who finally laid his overly-large fist on his face, which he would not deny he deserved, and the Lady of the Woods. Kethaera reminded him time and time again before he left that the younger Lasfaelgen was the Lady's favored grandchild between the two of them. Her anger will definitely surpass Kethaera, Lord Lasfaelgen, Haldir and his father's anger towards him. His actions were not what people expected of a prince. He prided himself to be someone who was almost perfect, his flaws carefully hidden. But this time, his crime was to be seen by the entire kingdom. It was for them to pass judgment upon him.

Wearily, he walked to the door where the insistent knocking continued. Opening it, he saw the emotionless March Warden look at him with a very concealed look of loathing in his eyes. The warden was escorted by six other armed archers behind him. The small party composed of blue eyed, blond haired men, with their right palms on the hilt of their swords. Legolas inwardly thought that their presence was unnecessary, he would come willingly wherever the Warden would take him.

"The Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn ask for your presence in the throne room," Haldir said, barely concealing an angry note in his voice. Legolas would bet his own kingdom that if the March Warden wasn't under the orders of the Lord and Lady of the Woods, he would be a bloody lump of mess right then and there.

The prince nodded as the six other guards and Haldir parted their formation in the middle for the prince to walk in middle, as if he was a prisoner. _Perhaps, I really am,_ Legolas thought, his eyes not bothering to look at his surroundings.

Reaching the antechamber of the throne room, Haldir entered first announcing the arrival of the prince. The Lady acknowledged it and asked for them to let him enter. Haldir dismissed the six guards and posted them at the entrance while he walked behind the prince.

In the room was Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn and Arienne, seated on ornately decorated thrones, all with unreadable expressions in their faces. Now he knew how it felt like for other people to stand in front of him and his father in Eryn Lagaslen. Feeling less like dirt on their shoes was the primary feeling.

Galadriel stood up, walked down a few steps towards him and stopped a couple of yards from him. Her ethereal glow seemed to emanate a negative energy from her body. "Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil Thandruillon, prince of Mirkwood, are you aware why you are here?" she asked with her musical voice, which had a dangerous iron edge in it.

Legolas nodded.

In a split second, the prince was on his knees as the March Warden kicked the back of his knees. caught unaware, a cry of swift pain traveled from his knees as it connected with the cold, marble floor. "You will show the Lady some respect by answering her questions with _words_," the Warden warned him.

Arienne's eyes widened at the brutality the Warden displayed at the thoroughly docile prince who muttered an audible 'yes'. The soft gasp she emitted was heard by her grandfather, who merely clasped her hand. The Lady looked down on the prince. "You have created a grave and unforgivable crime against high families in Lothlorien and Eryn Lagaslen through your actions last night at the ball. We had welcomed you as befitted a prince and the betrothed of my granddaughter, Kethaera, and you have taken advantage of this privilege. I do not dare say the words that describe your actions last night for it soils the dignity of this house."

"I take full responsibility of my actions, my lady," he answered softly, his head bowed down. Only the slight sound of his labored breath indicated the loss of his composure. Even as he was kneeling on the marbled floor as if he was a common prisoner, the rod straight posture of his back belied his position as a prince.

Arienne squeezed her grandfather's hand as they watched the two of them. _He deserves this. He does not know the pain I carry. He will not see how he had almost broken me with what he did,_ Arienne thought, steeling her nerves.

Galadriel chose not to hear those words as she continued. "I sent word to your father right after I discovered the magnitude of your transgression to my family, as well as to the Lord Corellon, saying that I am asking for the right to hand down the fitting punishment for your actions,"

Legolas looked up a notch, his eyes hardening. _They know. I wished to tell them myself..._ he thought angrily. They would immediately pass judgment on him. And they would probably be right to think of him as a bastard and yet, he did not want to break his father's heart that way.

"We have received word half an hour ago from your father, agreeing to my terms. Your father looks down at what you did and does not object to what I told him will be your penalty. He plans to hand down another one once you come home. He wishes for you to know that your actions will cause long-standing ties to be broken, including Lord Lasfaelgen's own, who has been informed of your transgressions to _both_ his daughters," Galadriel said, a glacier could have been in her voice. She turned around and walked back to her throne, but did not sit down.

The doors to the throne room opened and a huge block of oak was carried by two soldiers. On the oak was a metal ring, on the metal ring was tied a coarse rope. They placed the oak block in the middle of the room, in front of where the prince was still kneeling. Another soldier came in, carrying a long, thin, black whip. On the last five inches of the whip were tiny spikes.

Legolas, upon seeing the whipping block, went still, his eyes carrying no traces of emotion. Haldir faced the prince and said in his authoritative voice, "Legolas Greenleaf, son of King Thranduil Thandruillon, prince of Eryn Lagaslen, you are here by sentenced to 100 lashes-" Arienne gasped at the number of the whip lashes, which was heard by the prince. Boldly, the prince looked into her eyes for the remaining words of the March Warden. "...for your crime of attempt on sexual harassment, physical harm and emotional trauma on the Lady Arienne Lasfaelgen, to be carried out by the March Warden of the Golden Woods as decreed by the Lady of the Woods on this day."

After finishing the decree, the two soldiers removed his tunic, leaving the prince clothe only with his tights and boots. They then tied his hands with the rope as he continued to kneel. He would not fight them, he knew that he deserved more than 100 lashes for what he did. That decree most definitely did not include the pain he caused Kethaera, who already probably knew of what he did to her sister.

Arienne watched as Haldir removed some of his weapons from his waist to be able to move freely. She knew that the animosity between the two elves was something Haldir did not take seriously but after last night's incident, it became personal. The prince dared to lay a hand on Arienne. The soldier handed the Warden the whip, which everyone knew was a lot deadlier if it was in the hands of their captain.

"Humbly asking the permission to proceed, my lord and ladies," Haldir said, facing the trio. He watched as the Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn stood up. They were not going to watch the brutality imposed upon the prince, no matter how much the offense was against their family.

"Arienne?" The questioning eyes of the Lord Celeborn looked at Arienne's own puzzled ones. "Will you not come with us?"

She looked back from the hardened face of Haldir, to the resigned ones of the prince to her grandfather's inquisitive ones and shook her head determinedly. "I intend to stay, if that is alright with you," she said, clearly wishing to see what would happen. Unbeknownst yet to the lady, a part of her wished to stay so that the Warden will not inflict more pain than necessary to the prince.

"If you wish, my dear. But you must be warned, this display is brutal," he said softly to his granddaughter.

"I am warned," she nodded. She watched as her grandparents walked out of the room, barely glancing at the kneeling prince. He had finally lost their favor. No saving of Middle Earth could mire the memory of what he had done to Arienne for them.

Haldir then turned to Arienne for her permission where she merely nodded.

_"No, please! Legolas!" she screamed, muffled by his lips covering her mouth. His grip tightened more at her struggle as she pushed him away from her. "No...no, Eru! Please, stop! This is wrong.." Arienne gasped as she felt her back connect to something hard and rough. She needed to get away from him, she must get away from him! Tears raced down from her eyes at her helplessness. Why wouldn't he stop?_

Even with her shoulders squared and her heart emanating an icy chill throughout her body, the first cracking sound of the thick, punishing leather connecting to his skin made Arienne flinch. The prince did not dare look at her as he tightened the muscles at his back, bunching together as the tiny spikes grazed his smooth skin, leaving tiny scratches of open flesh. Blood slowly trickled down his back.

But before the thought was even finished, another heavy-handed blow connected to his skin. His fists clenched the ropes that bound them as three successive blows left opened, bleeding lines; thin lines of blood streamed down his back. The tiny spikes on the whip proved to be more deadly than they appeared to be, the small, innocent spikes drew blood in small amounts yet the gashes hooked the spikes and opened his skin more. With the pain finally embedding itself on the prince on the seventh blow, he tightly shut his eyes, clenched his jaw and gripped the rope he was holding.

_You deserve more than this Legolas,_ he thought repeatedly as the image of a terrified Arienne flashed in his mind over and over again along with her pleas for his to stop. _You did not stop, you did not stop yourself,_ he thought torturously, his breathing becoming more labored with each heavy lash delivered to his back.

The March Warden employed an expressionless look on his face as he continued to lash the prince, as much as five successive blows without expelling a breath. Arienne on the other hand, sat still in half-shock as she watched the brutality that her grandfather had warned her about. She could see the controlled pain he was in, the side image of his bloodied back made her shake, her eyes wide, seemingly unnoticed by the Warden.

"Let it be known to everyone in this room that I have only delivered twenty-five lashes," Haldir's deep voice breaking into her shock. He was watching her, waiting for her to acknowledge what he said. She looked at the still pained and contorted expression on the prince's features then back to the Warden. _Before she could say anything else, Legolas' mouth quickly lowered to the elleth's surprised ones. His lips didn't make room for her to adjust to the bruising kiss as he delved into her mouth assultingly; thrusting and withdrawing without the shocked elleth's permission. _

Arienne's eyes hardened once more at the memory, feeling dirtier than ever, before nodding at the warden. Before she could breathe another breath, a sound crisper and swifter than the last ones was delivered in a lightning quick speed on the back of Legolas. An intake of breath due to the pain escaped his lips as Arienne watched for the first time, blood splattered on the floor, specks on dark red blood sullied the marble floor.

It was followed by heavier lashes, opening more skin, his long, fine hair soaking blood at the ends turning them vermillion in color. His tights not anymore the recognizable dark green that it was. And yet, Haldir had not yet placed his heaviest blow until the fortieth blow. Tiny sounds escaped the prince lips as his back slumped onto the oak block, his breath labored as more blows came to punish his back.

Arienne watched as the blows became varied, with only the scraping of the small spikes being constant. The prince's back finally arched in pain, accompanied by a strangled cry from his lips. He did not have the strength to hold his posture, his body clinging on the block as the Warden mercilessly lashed at his back. His chest heaved heavily as he tried to breath, laboriously taking its toll. Suddenly, the whipping stopped.

"Let it be known to everyone in this room that I have delivered fifty lashes," the Warden said once more. He faced Arienne's already horrified look, waiting for her signal. Their eyes met, the warden seemingly reminded her of her ordeal of the night before when he carried her shaking like a leaf, her cries piercing at his very soul. And suddenly, she felt the hollow and chilly feeling inside, the rough bark of the tree connecting with her back as Legolas shoved her. Arienne finally nodded; Legolas opened his eyes feebly to see her feebly nod.

Her head spinned at the knowledge that there had only been only fifty lashes delivered. It seemed like ten times more than that already. Legolas' body twisted to try and dodge the punishing whip that never missed the target as his body finally sprawled out on the floor, all dignity and fight leaving his body at that moment.

Arienne half-stood from her seat at the shock of seeing the unmoving body of the prince. It was only then she realized the full extent of the brutality of the whip. Arienne flinched when her arm met a spatter of the prince's blood. She stared at the blood stops with wide and horrified eyes. With the warden occupied, Legolas slowly lifted his face, his hair matted with blood, his face smeared with his own warm blood, and looked straight at her.

"I am sorry, _Aielen_, I am sorry," he whispered hoarsely before clenching his eyes once more.

It was as if a punch had landed at her own heart, the seizing feeling took hold of her and stood up. "Stop!"

Haldir was on the verge on landing the seventy-fifth blow when he heard the alarmed cry of Arienne. "You can stop now," she said shakily to the Warden, striding down to where the bloodied prince was sprawled. Hazy memories seemed to flood her mind all at the same time, all with one goal: to remind her that there was more to the prince than just the drunk one that she encountered the night before.

_He gathered the tiny elf into his arms and rocked her gently, letting her cry in his arms. His heart constricted as he felt her shake with fright and her continued sobs. "Shhhhh, it's alright aielenamin. It's going to be alright, you're safe now," he whispered, trying to calm his racing heart. He could not shake off the terror he felt when he saw the horse nearly miss her head. He continued to say soothing words to the child who was slowly calming down, alternating his apologies with the assurances. "I'm sorry, so sorry tellelah. It's going to be fine now." _

To the time he had taught her to ride a horse and fire her bow for the first time. To the times he played with her and read her stories. She looked down at him and sank down to her knees next to the prince, unmindful that her dress was soaking up his blood. This elf, bloodied and unmoving was almost her _kin_. _What have I done?_ she thought, feeling sick as she drank in the image of her protector of old.

"Get him a healer Haldir," she pleaded to the puzzled elf standing. "Please get him a healer, please," she cried.

"Do not listen to her," a hoarse voice croaked suddenly. Legolas laboriously turned his head to the still shell-shocked lady and tried to feebly smile. The gory image of the beautiful prince's face marred by the blood streaming all over it was more than she could bear. For the thousands of times he had smiled down at her as a child, this was more than she could take. "March Warden, you are ordered to deliver one hundred lashes, you have yet to finish," he said as clearly as he could. "Leave now Arienne, if you cannot bear to see this," he added to the mute lady.

Haldir nodded to the two soldiers to take the lady away from the room but she sat unmoving. "Dare to take me away Haldir and you will regret it," she said angrily at him. "You are to stop whatever was ordered for you to do!" she screamed. "Get the prince a damned healer!"

"Take her away Haldir!" Legolas bellowed as well, expelling another breath after the energy wasted by shouting.

"Are you insane! You're going to die if this continues!" she shouted at him, tears finally streaming down her face as she fully realized what was being done to him.

"For what I did to you and your sister, especially _you_, I deserve no less," he said painfully.

Before she could even protest, the two guards ushered the bloodied and shocked elleth out of the chamber, her eyes still fastened at the brutalized back of the prince.

Galadriel was walking in her garden with the Lord Celeborn trailing next to her when she abruptly stopped. "Is it over?" Lord Celeborn asked his wife, a troubled look on his wise features.

The lady nodded tiredly, "I did not think it would take this long for Arienne to realize that the punishment was too harsh."

"How much did the prince endure?"

The lady paused for a moment, pain flashing on her face before saying, "All one hundred lashes, twenty-five of which our granddaughter tried to stop the March Warden from delivering."

Celeborn frowned at what he heard. "Why didn't Haldir stop when Arienne asked him to?"

It was then a serene yet sad smile appeared on the lady's face, "Because the prince did not want the warden to stop. To prove to her than he was remorseful for what he did."

"It must have almost killed him," Celeborn said, alarmed.

"The prince does not feel pain, only _love_," Galadriel said enigmatically, squeezing her husband's hand.

So that was chapter 11! -shudder- at least i had gotten over that brutal chapter...smooth sailing after that...or not. :P so yeah, same drill, review:) :) :) you guys are insane! 35 reviews for chapter 10! cool:) and yeah, read and review my HP fic as well, **Teaching the Malfoys**. Thanks:)

Paula 


	12. Contradictions and Oxymorons

**Disclaimer :** Legolas/OC Fic, AU. LoTR characters are not mine but Tolkien's. Fiction will not follow the canon. Some dates will be accurate, some will not be.

**A/N:** Okay...Still here, still alive and breathing out fanfiction. ;) Thanks to those who reviewed chapter 11. A lot of you didn't like the heavy and brutal theme that went on but hey, I think it was just right. Besides, I did WARN you that the chapter would be brutal since it was inspired by the movie, Passion of Christ. I personally agree that elves are beings that do not employ violence when it comes to punishments but if you read the words of Legolas, he allowed it to continue to _prove a point._ Anywhoooo, that would be the only blood brutal scene in this story...

I do NEED to warn you that this story will be long...since I did make a draft on the story and there are enough twists in this story to fuel a soap opera series. After this chapter, we move back to Eryn Lagaslen where all the REAL action will take place. :P

Another thing...**THIS CHAPTER HAS NOT BEEN EDITED AT ALL**. I'm sorry, I KNOW i should be thoroughly editing it (I did edit a little) but it's already very late here so I'll edit everything tomorrow, alright? please don't yell at me! hehehe :)

**TEACHING THE MALFOYS**, A HARRY POTTER FIC (DRACO/GINNY). READ AND REVIEW THAT AS WELL! THANKS:)

* * *

**Aielenamin**  
**Chapter 12 - Contradictions and Oxymorons**

"Grandmother,"

"Arienne," Galadriel greeted her granddaughter quietly, a soft smile lingering on her lips. "Come, walk with me."

Arienne walked next to her beautiful and regal grandmother. Unlike her, Arienne felt that after the events of the last day, she looked absolutely horrifying. And she had no doubt that it was true. One glance at her mirror after stumbling out of bed an hour ago made her wince. Galadriel, the embodiment of what an elf should look like...and her granddaughter, Arienne, the embodiment of what a _troll_ looks like.

If she _had_ a choice, she would have made herself look more presentable but after she got her grandmother's message to accompany her in her gardens that morning _immediately_, she really had not much choice. And besides, she did have certain agendas as well. After she was literally hauled by the two guards from the throne room to her chambers the day before, she had not heard a word about what happened to the prince.

"The prince has lost too much blood," Galadriel started.

Arienne snapped her gaze from the rose bushes to her grandmother's troubled features. Apparently, she didn't have to wait long to hear what state the prince was in. "Is he...Will he—will he...be alright?" she asked difficultly, swallowing the forming lump in her throat before expelling a breath through her lips.

"The last I heard from the March warden, the prince was heavily sedated even though he refused them. The healers had to sedate him by darts because he wouldn't let them near him. Even with all the lost blood, he was determined to feel the pain," Galadriel said, trying not to show too much emotion on her face.

"He didn't want Haldir to stop at the seventy-fifth blow. I pleaded with Haldir to stop and get the prince a healer because I knew he was already loosing too much blood. I tried to stop it—"

The lady's gaze was far, as if she was losing herself to a different time. And yet, she was still there, her lips conveying a message. "The prince was not supposed to endure all one hundred of those lashes, Arienne. Even the seventy-fifth blow was already severe. And I know that you _knew_ that,"

The younger elf nodded, her eyes full of distress. "I realized it too late. I am not saying that he did not deserve _some_ of those lashes because he has to be punished. I didn't understand why there was so much blood, his blood pooling all over the floor, until it was too late," she answered.

But instead of adding more to the young elleth's guilt, Galadriel closed his hand over her granddaughter's own, bowing his head. "The prince's punishment has only begun. Your father broke your sister and the prince's engageme—"

"He did whaaat? But the wedding—!"

Galadriel shook her head, "By now, the prince knows how much damage between two families from two elven kingdoms he has destroyed. The prince stays here in the kingdom because of my mercy and respect for his father, even if his own father wishes that his son be tried fully as if he was a common offender."

"Kethaera must hate me now," Arienne whispered, the steady clenching in her heart at the pain of realizing the possibility of her older sister hating her for ruining her chance at the prince. "I should have stayed in Rivendell. If I had, none of this would be happening right now," she said bitterly. "When I was about to go back to Eryn Lagaslen, I already had the feeling that things aren't going to go well. Mirkwood isn't home anymore for me. And it won't be home for me again if my own sister hates me!"

"No, she does not," Galadriel said gently, cupping Arienne's face with her palms. "The king and people of Eryn Lagaslen expected more from their prince; they did not expect brutality and crudeness. They expected propriety for he is destined to be king soon and yet he crossed that line. It is not in the nature of elves to be violent, to revel in physical punishment but we must for we have to nullify physical violence with the punishment of physical violence."

"We elves are peaceful beings but when we are attacked by any force that threatens our existence, it is our duty to protect our lands, our people, our _dignity_. May that force be an army of orcs, or a revered prince of an elven realm, we lay down the same measures to protect our own. It has been a long time since an elf has been punished in the same violent manner as the prince because we do not allow our basal instincts to take hold of violence and no one, since the prince two days ago, for the past millennia that this has happened."

"I do not understand. I _do_ understand but I don't want to because I don't feel that what's happening is right. My head's full of contradictions and it isn't so easy to sort them all out and I simply cannot make a rash decision because I might miss something important and choose the wrong option. Does that make sense at all? All the while the prince told me he loves my sister and she also expressed to me that she loves the prince. What part do I play between two people who love each other?"

"You play the part of the elleth that the prince is _in love_ with," Galadriel answered softly, watching her granddaughter's distressed face to one of complete horror.

"Pardon me?" Arienne blanched out. "But that's simply preposterous!"

The elder elf gave Arienne a sideways smile and shook her head. "Is it truly?"

"Yes! You know of the time that I adored the prince as if he was the only elf that I will allow myself to marry when _i was a mere child of fourteen!_ Two thousand years later, I grew out of that juvenile adoration and I see him on his engagement ball. He is getting married to _my sister_ and then suddenly _he_ is in _love_ with me?" she cried out, shaking her head at the improbability of what the lady was telling her.

"It must have occurred to you that certain developments have happened since you arrived. The prince may have not appreciated how beautifully you've grown up like Haldir in the years past but it does not mean it dampened his ardor towards you."

Arienne flushed at the words her grandmother chose to portray what prince apparently felt towards her. But even then, it was a mixture of embarrassment and indignation towards the infidelity the prince was capable of! He was engaged to her sister and yet...yet—he _wanted_ her! Was she the only one who saw what was wrong with what was happening?

"Yeah, _beautiful_ way he showed his 'ardor' towards me two nights ago," she said, unable to keep the sarcasm from her voice. "He may have paid for what he did with compliance to the laws of punishment handed upon offenders like him but what about me? What about what he has done to me? I would rather be with the man who respects me rather than someone who rationalizes his actions with his blood being fortified with ale! How can someone be 'in love' and treat them that way? So forgive me grandmother, if I cannot see what _you_ see in him," she said, trying to keep her irritation down.

"I am not condoning what he did to you, child," Galadriel said sternly. "All I am doing is enlightening you on why the prince acted that way, even though it was bad judgment on his part. It would have worked well between the two of you if not for that rashness—"

"Excuse me!" For the second time that afternoon, her grandmother was able to make her jaw drop at her 'revelations'.

She gave her another one of those enigmatic sideway glances, "I can see the future and your future and his were intricately entwined. Your sister is not his destiny." _You are._

Arienne rolled her eyes before shaking her head. "I know you like me best Grandmother and I know you would rather see me married to the prince, since well, he _is_ a prince, but I think it would be unfair to my sister if you blatantly played favorites," Arienne said wryly.

The lady chuckled at her words but shook her head as well. "The Valars have different plans for your sister and I know that she will be happy with her fate, I made sure of that. So you see child, I do not play favorites, I simply lead each of you to your real destiny and your destiny may seem evil right now but it is with—"

"Please don't say his name in that context, I do still want to—forgive the crudeness-smash his face into an Oliphant's ass until he looks like leaves that Sauron used to wipe his ass for what he did to me," Arienne jauntily said. It was true, inasmuch as she tried to stop him from 'dying' by flogging, it didn't mean she still didn't want to kill him with her bare hands.

"If you say so," Galadriel responded with a great sigh.

"And grandmother, with all due respect, you do know that my father has arranged my marriage with the March Warden!"

Galadriel raised her delicate eyebrow to her granddaughter inquiringly, "And you're going to comply with this?"

"Why ever not? I have known the Haldir for a long time now, I enjoy his company and we respect each other," she responded defensively, truly confused at what her grandmother was trying to lead her into. "I find that his intentions are noble and true. There is nothing about our arranged union to be looked down at."

"And the prince?"

"What about the prince?"

"What does the prince play in _your_ life?"

"Before, he was my adored protector. Now, he is the man who has nearly destroyed my relationship with my sister. A year from now? Simple. He will simply _be_ the prince and the future King of Eryn Lagaslen, nothing more," Arienne answered simply.

_I fear that _you_ would be more than just the subject of the future king,_ Galadriel thought sadly. The pair walked silently after that declaration from the elleth, each lost to her own thoughts. When they finally reached the alcove leading to the ballroom, Galadriel turned to Arienne and gently touched her cheek.

"Since your father has broken your sister and prince's engagement, there is no need for me or Lord Celeborn to bless any union. The king has also sent escorts from Eryn Lagaslen that will arrive this afternoon and will bring you and the prince back to your land in the morn," she said, kissing Arienne's forehead. "It is a pity that the prince made poor choices in his actions."

"Truly,"

- a - b - c - d - e-

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She watched the steady rise and fall of his back.

He was still sleeping, still heavily sedated from the healers' potions that had to be forced on him. Because of the wounds from the flogging, he had to sleep on his stomach.

The soft afternoon light filtered in from the room, forming a soft glow around the room. It was a picture of calm and serenity, belying the storm that was about to be unleashed when morn comes and they have to go back to Mirkwood.

_It's as if nothing happened,_ Arienne thought sadly, studying the calm expression on the prince's sleeping form. He was once again her old protector, the elf she adored and loved the most outside her own family. And yet, she knew it could never be the same again. No matter how much her grandmother tries to tell her that it was for her own good that she came back from Rivendell, she couldn't shake the fact that she was the cause of so much chaos in the lives of the people she cared about.

Then comes the startling, or maybe not _too_ startling revelation from her grandmother about the prince and his intentions. She was simply surprised that someone else was able to detect the differences in action from the prince towards her.

At first she thought that he was simply making up for the lost time but as time passed, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with his actions. Even if he wasn't engaged to her sister, she would still feel awkward. The prince was undeniably handsome but that was not enough for her to simply throw herself at his feet. _Nay, it didn't work that way now,_ she mused.

Simply put, she had already set boundaries even then. _He_ is.._was_ her sister's betrothed, while she..._She_ was the child who once adored him and had finally grown out of that stage and is determined to stay away from his path. But then, he wouldn't allow her to be away from his path. She dared not think of his actions towards her, she dared not betray her own sister. And yet, even with that loyalty she had for her sister, he dared to betray her, his family name and their family.

It was close to the end of the middle of the afternoon. In a couple of hours, dusk would settle throughout the land. She had received word that the escorts from Eryn Lagaslen had already arrived half and hour ago. She knew her father pulled a lot of strings (which she knew were very easy to control since Corellon had the King's hands tied because of his son's actions) to get the best guards to get to the Golden Woods in less than the usual week-long journey.

She knew she shouldn't be there, for the sake of her own pride and yet she had stealthily climbed out of her own window, carefully avoiding the guards Haldir had posted around her room. It didn't take her long to find herself climbing into the window of the prince's chambers. She shouldn't be there, but she was. Her sense of pride and indignation demanded her to allow herself to believe that he _deserved_ those lashes. His actions to her, her family and their country demanded that she denounce his existence in her life.

And yet, for some inexplicable reason, she was there. In his room. A day after her gown soaked his blood like a sponge.

It had taken two healers to scrub her neck and arms of sedating potion to calm her down yesterday. With flailing arms and screams that was reminiscent of her younger days as the elleth that threw tantrums when the prince leaves her for trips, the two guards who had been ordered by Haldir to take her back to her room displayed scratch marks on their faces and necks as she tried to free herself from their arms after realizing what Legolas was trying to do to himself.

She knew that in the deepest recesses of her heart, she _could_ forgive him. "Besides, forgiveness and trust are two extremely different concepts," she murmured to herself. The fear in her heart that he had caused her that night undoubtedly will remain for a long time. Perhaps she was being too kindly or perhaps too _untrue_ to herself when she said that she could forgive him.

_Nay, not only is it too soon, but he has not earn forgiveness. The punishment of the whip is different from pain of having to earn someone's forgiveness,_ she thought before her eyes caught a slight shift in his breathing. From the deep and even breaths he was talking seconds ago, the prince was already short of gasping for air. Arienne approached his sleeping form cautiously.

Legolas' eyes twitched rapidly, his head restless at the apparent dream he was having. The groans came next and the clutching of the sheets by his right hand, fisting and twisting the linens as if grasping for something.

Suddenly, the thick bandages that was wrapped around his torso was beginning to color with crimson splotches. She knew that because of his sudden and tight movements, it was causing the wounds to open up once more. And if he continued his thrashing, the healers would rush in and see that she was there.

"No...No...I'm sorry...No...I'm so sorry..."

She watched, fascinated at the words that the prince muttered in his sleep. This was nothing like the usual sleep talking. The prince's words were in distress, as if it was being wrenched from his throat. The peaceful face from moments ago was completely gone. It was replaced by someone who was in obvious and acute pain.

Glancing once more to the door and seeing that it wasn't going to open anytime soon, she carefully walked towards the bed and crouched near the edge. The contortions he was making with his face marred his angelic features. It was truly unlike the expression he had on two nights ago. Maybe she was simply a fool by being there. He had hurt her and yet she was there playing nurse when the healers were on call all day.

"Legolas, wake up..."

The bandages continued to soak the blood coming from the tearing wounds. With horror-filled eyes, she started to shake his arm lightly to move him into consciousness. "Wake up! Your bandages are going to tear even more!" she hissed, trying to stop his shaking.

Suddenly, when Arienne was already detecting sweat beads forming on his temple, the prince's eyes shot open. Arienne's green eyes were the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes and not that it was a welcoming sight, but to find out that she was there and she woke him up from that dream, it was understandable that he reflexively pulled away from her from shock. "Arienne? What are you doing here?" he asked, grimacing from the searing pain from his back. "You're not supposed to be here."

"I know."

Legolas carefully shifted out of the bed, obviously discarding the intense pain he was undoubtedly feeling as he set his eyes grimly. It wasn't an unusual dream. He had been having it every time he closed his eyes to rest. It was a gamble he took every time he tried to sleep. It was always a bad idea, he always ended up dreaming about the night of the ball.

This time, he wasn't himself. He was simply looking above what was happening and yet he could feel both his and Arienne's emotions at that time. But as always in the dream, he could never stop himself from harming her...Simply apologizing over and over again and trying to reach to 'himself' to stop what he was doing. The most acute pain he felt from the dream stayed with him even after he had woken up. Each time he felt her fear...her fear towards him, his head clenched as if it was trying to suspend the beating of his heart.

Having her wake him up from the dream where she played a main role didn't help with the internal pain he was feeling; it surpassed the physical pain he felt. The lashes he could bear them without so much as a grimace or wince, he had endured more battle scars and survived. But the one he carried all the time was an all together different matter.

"What are you doing here?" he asked gruffly, sitting at the edge of his bed, feeling her walk away from where he was. He _felt_ her fear. Her fear _of him_.

"I wanted to see if you were alright," she answered truthfully.

"I am."

_Great, how awkward can this get?_ Arienne thought sarcastically to herself. "Oh, alright." She did not bothering to glance his way before starting to walk towards the door. She paused. "The escorts from Eryn Lagaslen have already arrived. We ride at dawn tomorrow," she added softly before heading to the door.

"Arienne, wait."

"Yes?"

"How are you?"

"I think you know 'how i am'," she answered curtly.

Legolas winced inwardly. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"You're going to drag it out of me?"

"No, there's simply too many transgressions for me to know which apology is for which."

"I'm sorry _for every single_ transgression I made to you,"

Arienne quirked an eyebrow and glared at him. "How do you think I should respond to that?"

"With you hurling your shoe my way?"

"Hurting other people is _your_ style, not mine," Arienne said, not biting on the bait.

_Wince._

"Have you figured out what made me do that to you?"

"No. I haven't gone that far off the road. It's not my style to reminisce on unsavory memories,"

"Is it that hard to understand why?"

Arienne shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you were simply looking for another elleth to be who was hormonal and vicious enough as you were that night and I was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time?"

_Wince._ "You're getting good at verbal jabs."

"Don't worry, I have a lot more. You gave me the ammunition."

Legolas chose not to say anything and let some air pass between them. This were getting too angry too fast and he wanted her to stay a bit longer for him to explain and say words than he was afraid to say that led to this between them.

"Is there anything else you want to discuss? I still have to pack for tomorrow," she said unfeelingly.

The prince glanced up to where she was before slowly standing up, keeping the pain off his face. He walked to the windows and touched the marble pillar to support his weight. Moments passed before he spoke once more, "I was jealous of the warden."

A small smirk appeared on her lips at that admission. "That's old news. Why you are, I cannot fathom."

"Is it so hard for you to understand that I feel something for you?" he snapped at her, whipping his head to where she was, holding her surprised gaze.

"Is it so hard for _you_ to understand that you cannot feel something for me?" she retorted.

"Why not? Because I was engaged to your sister?"

"No, because you've hurt me and my family enough!"

"And you think I'm going to hurt you again?"

"What makes you think you wouldn't anymore? You already did hurt me once, what's going to stop you from doing it again?"

"Damnit Arienne, if I can change what happened, I would—"

"But you can't," Arienne said dully. 

"I want to change what happened, can't you understand that?"

"It's not as simple as that Legolas, and you know it. You destroyed people's trust; I don't think I can trust you at all. And you know what? I don't want to trust you anymore because I don't see the point in it anymore. There's no reason for me to; the only link you had to me was when you were engaged to my sister. Now that you aren't, there is nothing between us."

"So that's it. I tell you that I feel something more than brotherly affections and you simply throw it away. Why are you doing this?"

"Damn you! You make it sound so easy but you know it isn't! One moment you physically assault me then the next moment you declare these so- called feelings for me! Am I the only one who sees what's wrong with all of these! Look, I'm not that child who follows you around like a lost puppy, I've told you that a million times. This is who I am now, with obligations attached as well as a different perspective on life."

Legolas stared hard at the magnificent view from his window, a muscle ticking on his forehead. "I am paying for what I did to you, I pay for it every single time I breathe in. Every single time I breathe in, I see you. I see you looking at me terrified, pleading for me to stop. Each time I see that in my mind, I feel like a goddamn animal, Arienne. I pay for what I did to you with every single breath I take. I _never_ want to see that look in your face again." He turned his gaze to where she was standing and continued, "I'm not asking you to forgive me now. I'm not asking for you to forgive me tomorrow or a year, hell, a century from now. All I want is for you to know that _I am sorry_, that _I will make it up to you_, no matter what and that I think it's _bullshit_ that you won't acknowledge that what I feel for you is more than this...whatever this is we have right now."

Arienne growled at the nonsensical path the conversation was heading into. "I am acknowledging it, I'm simply choosing to do _nothing_ about it because unlike you, I have no plan on betraying people I love."

"You're saying that you do have feelings for me but you choose to ignore it?" he asked incredulously.

She whipped her head to where he was and glared, walking back a few steps to where he was to make a point. "How thick can you get! Are you simply hearing the words that will be beneficial to you? I _do not_ feel anything for you, _at all_. Sure, maybe if you rewind time when I was still twelve years old pretending that we're going to get married. But it's two thousand years after, get over it!"

"So when we get back to your perfect little world——"

"It isn't so perfect anymore when _you_ came into the picture," she spat.

Legolas smiled humorlessly at her venom and continued, "——and live that boring mundane things you love to do."

"Yeah, my perfect little world with my father, my sister, minus you, plus Haldir," she snapped. Then Arienne's lips curled into a vicious smile, turning towards him, "Oh, did I mention to you that instead of your wedding with my sister, my own wedding with the March Warden will 'replace' yours in the spring? Oh, what a SHOCKER, isn't it? My life isn't so mundane after all. Oh...oh...I almost forgot, he's also going to stay in Eryn Lagaslen till the wedding."

OOOOOOOOOOO

go review! go review! please? pretty pretty please:) 


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